A Bond Awakens
by Jedi Heathcliff
Summary: Ora was a 17 year old girl who trained in the Jedi Temple with Luke Skywalker, finding herself having a strong bond with his nephew, Ben Solo. Now, she travels the galaxy with Ben's father after the Jedi temple was destroyed, and Luke has asked her to do all she can to bring Ben back to the light. Is her bond with him strong enough to rid him of the darkness? (Kylo Ren/Ben Solo/OC)
1. Prologue

**Star Wars: A Bond Awakens**

 **Prologue**

 _Step one, two, three, turn. Step one, two, three, turn. Twirl._

Ora looked up at Els, a dear friend with the heart of a dove. Els was the most magnificent dancer in the Jedi Temple and was requested by Luke Skywalker himself to teach the rest of the young trainees the Jedi's Trance before the ball. However, it was unfortunate for the shy and quiet Ora to be her friend for she was firstly picked to be the example in front of everyone else.

"Alright, everyone," Els began, "let's see if you can do it one more time."

It was required that for now, girls had girl partners and boys had boy partners. In a room filled with a bunch of hormonal teenagers, it made all the sense Luke would avoid anything awkward and weird until the evening of the ball.

"I heard Jeff asked you," Els whispered to her as they continued practicing. "Did you say yes?"

"Of course not," Ora replied. She glanced over at the tall young man with thick black locks dancing with a stout boy a few years younger than they. When he met her eyes she turned quickly back to her partner.

"As adorable as I think you and emo boy would be," Els said glancing between her and him, "He doesn't make any move on you. How can you be so sure he feels the same? Besides, Jeff is clear on how he feels about you. And he's cute. What's the obstacle?"

Ora laughed at Els's pushiness.

When she looked back at the young man and the stout boy, she noticed the man disappeared. Her smile faded, now curious and set on finding where he had gone off to.

"OW!" Els suddenly said. Ora stopped noticing she had stepped on her friend's foot.

"Oh, sorry, Els!" Ora said, catching a glimpse of the young man slipping through the back doors. "I'll be right back."

Her friend furrowed her brows, but she continued to walk out of the temple. When she glanced around, she saw that the young man was walking up to a fleet of command shuttles and Tie Fighters. A shiver ran down her spine and she felt something breaking inside her, but she didn't believe the strong feeling was just from her own being.

The pressured wind from the landing fleet sent her fiery red curls back behind her. Her eyes watered, but she couldn't be sure if it was from her physical or mental state.

"Ben!" she called out. He quickly turned towards her, anger filling his body.

 _She could feel it._

A group of darkly dressed people came out of the ships with lightsabers in their hands.

Ora immediately darted back into the temple.

"Luke!" she yelled. "The dark side is here!" That was all she could manage to say before the doors burst open and the lightsabers started slaying everyone she knew.

Luke and a few other staff started yelling for everyone to get out. Ora tried pinpointing Els so they could get on the other ships together, escaping from the massacre, but there were too many people running about. Suddenly, she saw Ben in his tall, misunderstood awkward self pull out his own saber and begin attacking Luke.

 _No._

The rest of the staff jumped in to help, but it appeared the battle would be completely lost.

Around her own being she felt a burning, passionate anger that was soaked in a twisted despair. She started to question where exactly it was coming from.

Luke came to her unmovable standing position, confused as to how this could have all turned so dark so quickly. He placed a hand on her back and guided her away. "You must come with me quickly."

She shook her head, "I have to find, Ben."

"It's too late today for that. We must get you to safety. Han Solo is taking you with him. It's much too dangerous here," he explained. They were now on the other side of the temple, walking out into all it's darkness and lost hope. She saw a clunky freighter land roughly right before them. A tall man, handsome even in his wary looking skin, walked out with a giant wookie right behind him. But though she was told he came to take her, he blatantly ignored her and turned to Luke.

"Where is Ben?"

Luke merely shook his head, handed him a couple of letters and stalked off.

Han clenched his jaw, but turned back towards his freighter.

"Come on," he demanded. "There isn't much time."

She felt a pull to turn and run back, but she wasn't about to disobey her mentor. With much reluctance, she boarded the ship.

Ora felt more like a small, scared child than a young woman almost eighteen years of age. Tears started streaming down her eyes as she watched out the window to her home, the only place she had known burning brightly in the dark sky. All her friends. Those she called family. Els. Luke.

Ben.

There was a sharp pang in the Force. She felt heavy and wasn't sure if she could keep her sobbing in much longer. She was utterly confused as to where all this emotion was coming from. The Force is living, yes, but in it of itself doesn't hold its own emotion. Emotions from from others, Jedi. Living and breathing beings. This heaviness and pain was from _him._

Han Solo walked up behind the girl. "Hey, kid. You need anything? To eat or drink, that is."

Chewy groaned in exasperation.

"My friend," she began, more to herself than to either Han or the wookie. "I don't understand why he brought them here. He's a good man, I know it." She shook her head. "Man. Boy. Maybe more a boy than a man."

She started to become angry. Angry that he couldn't have a more mature perspective on everything. Angry he choose the dark side instead of the light. Angry he choose them instead of her and Luke. Angry he choose a group of strangers over his best friend and his uncle.

At the realization, she quickly turned to Han with an anger so great that it couldn't have been coming just from her own soul. "You. You're his father. You should have been there for him. You abandoned him."

Han looked solemn, knowing who she was speaking of and how true her words were.

When her own nature came back to her and she realized she had said something so cruel, she began to apologize.

"Don't worry about it, kid," he said with a sad smile on his face. "You're right."

Ora turned back to see out the window, but there was nothing to see now but the distant stars occupying space.


	2. Kylo Ren

**A/N:** I am taking the Force Awakens and only changing it slightly to fit my own character into the story. I will stay as true as possible, however. Also, I am expanding the time length of FA because I want to expand on each character, give them more time to interact and so forth. Force Awakens was almost perfect and I wouldn't change much about it, but I still think it went really fast (for it to be translated into a story in my opinion), so I'm slowing it down.

* * *

 **Star Wars: A Bond Awakens**

 **Chapter One: Kylo Ren**

 _"_ No, Chewy, I won that."

Chewy groaned in protest. She didn't win, he said, she cheated.

"I did no such thing!" Ora shook her head. "Do you think me a cheater, Han?"

Han was just passing through the lobby of the freighter, checking things off a list. "Well, you were pretty keen on getting the most out of Jun-Gongin, weren't you?" He laughed at the memory.

Ora smiled as well. It was clear how much rubbed off on her from spending so much time with the infamous Han Solo the smuggler. She grew a little more out of her shell; a little bolder, a little more confident. Maybe it was for a lack of a family that she grew so attached to these two boys so easily, but whatever the reason, she loved them both dearly and wouldn't have given up having met them for anything.

"Well, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have gotten that twenty-thousand from Jun-Gongin."

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that-"

Chewy groaned, siding with Ora and then said _I think you trained her too well, Han._

"Someone can never be too good at being a smuggler, Chewy. And now that we have another genius smuggler, making that two now," he said looking at Chewy funnily at the last bit, "We can further our horizons beyond the known parts of the galaxy."

Ora lit up, "We can go some place no one has gone before?"

He smiled, "You betcha. I have set our destination to a vacant location. No one has been to this part of the galaxy before. It looks like it's full of shiny stuff we can sell."

Ora giggled with joy.

The small crew of three were in no hurry to get to their destination, so they decided to cruise on at low speed, enjoying the free time they currently had.

Ora made her way to the back of the freighter, glancing out the large window. She scanned the galaxy as if looking for something, as if the Force was willing her to find something beyond the lowly populated planets and stars on this side of the system. Something tugged at her very soul. Something beyond she could comprehend. But she felt the need-the need to go and search the tan planet that the Force laid her eyes on.

Quickly, she jogged her way to the cockpit to find Han, explaining that she needed to be away for just a day.

Han Solo looked concerned instead of looking at her like she was insane as Ora expected he would look.

"What do you need to leave for?" he asked, unsure he could understand what she was talking of.

"I just feel the need to go to that planet for a day," she said, pointing to it on the scanner centered between them.

"Jakku?"

"Yes, Jakku. I must go there."

He shook his head, but smiled. "You are just as crazy as Luke."

Ora beamed a little with pride. Luke was a great Jedi Master. Whether he left in exile with no trace of him or not, he was still a great Jedi and to be compared was sort of like an honor to her.

"Well, alright. I'll give you twenty-four hours, but that's it. We have a pot of credits on the other side of this galaxy to get to."

"Sir, yes, sir!" She smiled, giving a firm solute and then made her way to the back end again.

She gathered a few supplies, sticking it in the small transport ship she would be taking. It was a ruddy one. It didn't look like much at all, almost as if someone put it together in a day with a few spare parts, but she flew it once upon a time and it worked.

Once.

She turned on the lights, transmission, and energy, ready to take off. It spluttered, but made it off the freighter in one piece. She set her destination for the southern hemisphere of Jakku.

xxx

It was dark out.

The desert planet was barren as far as the eye could see except for a small village some few miles away. She started walking towards it, feeling the pull again. The closer she got, however, the more horror she could see.

There were command ships and barrack ships spewing out stormtrooper after stormtrooper. They were blasting their weapons at the villagers and gathering them to the center of the village, right before the black command ship landed. Flashbacks to her final day at the temple started stabbing through her mind.

A dark, tall, strong figure stepped off the command ship. He had a full helmet on and a hood to cover it. There was a lightsaber in his hands, ready to wield it whenever he needed.

Ora felt something strong within the Force as her soul started to long for that person behind the helmet.

 _Ben._

He heard her. The figure turned his head to the side ever so subtly. But he immediately turned away and in a robot-like tone, said something to the stormtrooper in silver armor.

It was hard to ignore the pain she felt for the villagers and being able to do nothing, but it was even more painful that she could feel the Force pulling her away from the village, knowing she would be much safer being as far away as possible.

Ora began walking back to her beat up transport with great reluctance. When she walked for a while and found herself closer to her ship and further from the village. Why bring her to the village only to send her back?

She grew angry.

Suddenly, she turned around, feeling in the Force a presence she hadn't felt so close in such a long time.

He stood there in his dark uniform and hood.

She wanted to say something, but she was frozen. A desire-filled longing swelled in her and she began to step forward. Before she could, he took his helmet off and let it drop in the sand. His face was the same, but his eyes were completely different. They look more tormented and tortured than she had ever seen them look before. She began to feel that torment in her own soul. His pain became hers once more.

He moved towards her this time, placing a gloved hand on her cheek. "It's been too long, Ora."

And that was her undoing. All he had to do was say her name and she melted like a pitcher of ice in the blazing sun.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, no longer caring about who he was now or what he had done back then. Right now, it was just her and Ben. The Ben who was her closest friend at the temple.

"I feel as though you left me," she started, trying to force her tears back.

"Skywalker did as I asked and took you away. You had to leave. I wouldn't let you stay there for me only to be killed by one of them."

She let go of him then. "Why be on the side who would kill me then, Ben? Why betray me, your uncle, your father?"

He looked at her with anger now. "Don't speak of my father," he growled.

To make an attempt to calm him, Ora took his face in her hands and planted a kiss, so full of passion and desire that she had held in for him for years, that she wasn't sure she could stop.

He caved into her, kissing back more fiercely than he had ever kissed her before.

She stopped just for a moment and saw in his eyes that he was Ben again, that he held more love for her than anyone ever could. So she took his hand and led him into her transport ship.

xxx

He stepped out of the transport and picked up his helmet.

She wasn't going to ask him to stay. She knew what he would say. Ora could only relish and be thankful for the short period of time she had with him and hope that maybe he realizes the love she, his father and Luke have for him and hope to the Force he comes to the right side of things.

Ben looked at her again, his tone mono. "You shouldn't come back."

She wasn't sure whether he was talking about this planet or him. She had expected him to ask her to join him, to at least try the dark side. But maybe he didn't ask because he knew the answer. Then again, how could he know what she would say when she herself didn't know if she could say no firmly?

He put his helmet on and when he did so, she turned away, forcing herself to start up the ship.

Ora didn't fly off just yet. There were tears blurring her vision and she became angry. That wasn't how their first meeting in years was supposed to go. They made love in a fit of passion so beautiful, but before and after they acted like friends who were no longer friends. Strangers who acted like they wouldn't be seeing one another again. Old acquaintances that never got the chance to form something and spoke to one another like nothing would form.

It was now that she knew the Ben in him was so far deep in him that he couldn't be recovered.

No, he was no longer Ben. He was now Kylo Ren.


	3. Finn and Rey

**Star Wars: A Bond Awakens**

 **Chapter Two: Finn and Rey**

The transport landed roughly on the freight. She stayed in Jakku for a few more hours until it was light enough to see her way out of the atmosphere. Of course, she seemed to have stayed away from Han and Chewy moreso for recovering her state of mind than because she couldn't see in the dark.

When she stepped out, she saw Chewy there to greet her with his famous guttural groan.

Ora found herself able to let out a small smile, giving him a big hug.

"Well, let's go play some holochess yes?"

Han Solo walked up behind Chewy, his face was solemn. Ora didn't want to tell him, but it appeared he already knew why she went there.

"He was there, wasn't he?"

Ora nodded.

"That's why you had to go. The Force was pulling you to him."

She scrunched her brows ever so slightly in utter confusion. She didn't know if it was truly the Force or if the pull was specifically towards him. She didn't know too much of anything.

Han started to explain. "Luke gave me something when he handed you over at the temple. He said-well, I think you should read both letters for yourself. It's about time. You were old enough years ago, but I guess I just didn't know how to go about it all. Uh, here." He already had the letters in his hand, ready to give them to her.

She looked at them and then up at Han. "Luke wrote them?"

"Yes."

Ora took them and opened the first one that was addressed to Han. "You sure you want me to read yours?"

He nodded, standing there, waiting with a longing sadness in his eyes. She looked at the first one intently. Every jagged word written in a hurry. Some words harder to decipher than others.

 _Han,_

 _I know giving you another child to raise, a Jedi child isn't what you asked for especially when entrusting your own to me, but as you see, I have failed. I only ask you take this one, she is special in ways I can't explain to you right now, but I believe with all the Force she is your son's redemption to the light._

 _Forgive me for leaving, but I must go._

 _Take good care of her if not for my sake or her own, then for your son._

 _Luke._

Ora looked up at Han in surprise. "You know about Ben and I then? That we weren't merely friends?"

"Yes, I've known since that day he turned wholly to the dark side. The second letter is specifically for you. I'll let you read it when you wish. Don't worry about my eyes reading it because I didn't."

She looked at the second letter, unsure if she did want to read it. For so long, she had taken up Han's way of not thinking and even running away from the past. To bring it up again after so long of numbness towards it, it opened up the wounds that hurt so before. She tucked it away in her tunic, definitely for a later day.

Han nodded at her decision.

"What did he say? What was he like? Is he alright?"

Ora wasn't sure what to answer first or if she should answer truthfully in that matter. No matter how much love was still in his eyes when they were one that night, it didn't change what he last said to her and who he had become and what parts of him he drove out.

"He said I should never go back. Not sure what he meant by that, but he wasn't happened when I mentioned you. I think he believes you abandoned him."

Han walked away right then as solemn as ever.

She probably shouldn't have said anything at all but it was hard to hide and lie from someone you dearly cared for.

The scanner on the freighter started beeping rapidly, signalling an incoming ship. Han and Chewy darted with Ora coming right behind them. They checked the scanner seeing there a smaller ship flying towards their way. Chewy looked out the window and groaned with excitement.

 _The Millennium Falcon!_

xxx

Curious, Ora walked right behind Han with the wookie following up. Their strides were brisk, making their way to the dock of the ship. Before her very eyes, she knew from hearing so many stories, was in fact the Millennium Falcon. Ora smiled big, and this time it wasn't forced.

"It's stunning!" she said.

Han Solo stood tall. "Isn't it? Haven't seen her in years. Come on, Chewy."

All three of them ascended the Falcon; all three looking in such wonder. It looked almost just like it had. The holo table was still there surrounded by comfortable benches, the flooring was the same, the walls were just as dented and rugged as they once were. To Ora, it was even more grand than Han and Chewy's stories. It was old technology, but everything had so much character screaming out adventure.

A clanking sounded below them. Chewy walked over to the noise and lifted one of the metal floorboards. Han had his DL-44 out, ready to shoot whoever was below.

Ora stood next to him with her own blaster, pointing directly at the male. There was just one other person next to him, a girl of no more than eighteen years of age. They both looked up wide-eyed.

"You're from Jakku, then?" Ora asked her.

They bore masks. No doubt they were trying to leak some kind of gas to kill whoever was going to board the ship. Their plan was interrupted fortunate for the three smugglers.

"Yea, I reside there for now," she answered.

Han looked at Ora with a raised brow.

"Her clothing. Desert-like; like the village that..." she trailed off remembering how she did nothing.

The droid let out a beep.

"He saw you there," the girl translated. "You were at the village massacre." The droid continued bleeping. The girl looked at him like he was crazy for whatever he just said.

"What did he say?" Ora asked impatiently. She made sure that whenever she got the chance, she would make sure to learn how to speak droid.

"He said that you were with the man in the black helmet and you helped him massacre that village."

"I did no such thing!" Ora glared at the BB droid.

The man's eyes went wider. "Kylo Ren? You were with Kylo Ren? Are you with the First Order?"

Her blood began to boil. What is so curious is that before Ben, before they were together, before they were one, she had never had anger in her nature. Now it was like his anger flowed through her whenever it seemed appropriate for an emotional human being.

Han's jaw clenched. "We aren't part of the First Order, now get out of there. Come on."

Ora decided to walk off the Falcon before the rest of them, leaving them to their own conversation. Something wrong started to stir in her being. She ran off the ramp of the Falcon and looked out the window seeing a giant ship docking. She looked at the scanner and saw that Han and Chewy and the rest were coming to check as well.

Han sighed. "The Guavian Death Gang."

The man with dark skin looked at Ora, following Han and everyone else, saying "Did you know you were hauling Rathtars on this ship?" The man looked utterly at a loss and that made Ora laugh.

Solo spoke up from the front, "This Finn and that's Rey just so you haven't missed anything. Apparently BB-8 has a map to..." He paused.

They opened the doors to the rathtars' corridors and Han opened the floorboard. Great hiding spot it seems with this bunch.

"To what?" Ora pried.

"We'll talk about that later. You two get under than and don't make a sound. We will give you your droid back and send you on your way as soon as this is all over, but until then the droid stays with me," Han said.

Rey and Finn shimmied down to the bottom of the freighter and Chewy covered them up just in time for the Gang to waltz in.

"Han Solo." The name echoed in the room. "You're a dead man."

xxx

Thanks to Rey the rathtars ran loose, but now that the gangs were taken care of, Han, Chewy and Ora were able to make their way to the Falcon.

Once aboard, they waited on Finn and Rey and then they took off into the galaxy, safe from the loose rathtars.

Ora sat down on the bench still feeling the blood rushing through her veins from adrenaline.

Rey and Han went to the cockpit to control the flight of the Falcon. Ora then helped Finn patch up Chewy's wound but Chewy was restless every time Finn tried touching him.

"Oh, let me do it," Ora said irritatedly to Finn, grabbing the wrapping from him.

"He has tried to kill me six times already and-" Finn stopped when Chewy grabbed a hold of his neck. "Which is fine," Finn managed to say hoarsely.

Ora gave Chewy a look until he let him go. She continued to bandage him up and by the sounds of it from the cockpit, we were on autopilot and free from the chaos of what the death gang and the rathtar frenzied freighter. Han and Rey walked back into the lobby with the rest of the group, BB-8 rolling right behind.

"You did good, kid," Han said reassuring Finn.

Finn casually leaned against the holo table, "Thanks." It turned on and began to play. He panicked for a moment, trying to turn it off.

"So. Fugitives, huh?" Han smiled.

"The First Order wants the map," Rey explained. "Finn is with the Resistance."

Ora snorted. They all looked at her, and she forced her smile back.

"I'm just a scavenger," Rey continued.

"Let's see it, then."

Ora stood up from the bench as BB-8 rolled to the center and he projected a map, but it looked too simple as if it was missing so much. "What does this map lead to?"

Han looked at Ora, "Luke."

Ora's face dropped. "Anyone else? Anybody from the temple?"

Han slowly shook his head. She felt a pain again. The kind of pain that all hope for Ben was lost. How could he do such a thing? Their friends...all gone now.

"The map is incomplete. This is just a piece."

Rey looked at Han and then back at the map that expanded to fill the room.

"Ever since Luke left, people have been looking for him," Han began.

"Why did he leave?" Rey asked.

Han looked at Ora willing her to explain for it seemed more her place than his own. She didn't want to talk about, however. It wasn't as if it was any of this scavenger's business. She was on a need-to basis in her own opinion but Han seemed to take a liking to her, so she obliged.

"Luke was training a new generation of Jedi. One boy..." Ora began, but feeling her eyes water to the brim, she turned away so her feelings wouldn't betray her. "One boy destroyed it all, the temple, the planet...the people. I think Luke felt responsible, so he just...walked away. From everything."

"Do either of you know what happened to him?" Finn asked. He no longer had that humorous sparkle in his eyes. The tone went from light to dark in such a short notice, she wasn't sure if bringing this all up would keep her emotions intact.

Ora shrugged.

Han said, "There are a lot of rumors, but those closest to him believe he is searching for the very first Jedi Temple."

Rey walked closer to Han with amazement in her eyes. What a relief someone could bring such light to something so dark. Ora began to take a liking to the scavenger now as well.

"The Jedi were real," she said in absolute amazement.

"Are," Han smiled gently, "There is one right next to you."

Rey looked at Ora as if she was a goddess. " _You're_ a Jedi? That's amazing! You were there with Luke? You've seen him? What's he like? What's the Force like?" Suddenly, she became solemn again, "How did you escape? Did you know the boy who destroyed the Jedi?"

Ora turned away again, feeling betrayed by her overwhelming emotions. If only she had trained herself that what happened had happened it should no longer have such a hold on her. But it was difficult to talk and think about what happened without thinking again how she had not only lost Ben to the darkness, but also Els, one of her closest friends and the rest of the young children so innocent, they wouldn't dare get angry at anything or even hurt the smallest most hideous creature. They were too pure, too kind. Yet, they were all gone now.

"I think that's a story for another time. We've set the destination to Maz's cantina, Ora, so we will be there in a few days. I am going to get some rest. I'm too old for drama with gangs and talk of Luke." Han made his way to a room and slid the door shut. Chewy was already fast asleep on the long bench while Finn and Rey turned the holo table on to watch the creatures battle.

Ora took the Marksman-H combat remote and moved it from one hand to the other over and over. She considered turning it on. Taking one glance at the two from Jakku, she couldn't help herself. She turned it on and stood up.

"Want to see something pretty cool?" Ora asked them. She knew it wasn't anything special, but it seemed like they (particularly Rey) haven't seen something like this before and would think it's such.

They both nodded, watching her every move. She took out her lightsaber, flipping the switch to reveal a green glowing ray of light. Rey stood up, barely containing herself with a big smile on her face.

The Marksman began spewing out bolts of red light and Ora combated every one, not missing a beat.

"I can't believe I'm standing before a real Jedi. This is amazing!"

Ora stopped and looked at her, "I think speaking droid is pretty amazing. Do you mind teaching me?"

"Me? Teaching a Jedi to do something."

The Jedi had to admit that the scavenger girl had brilliant smile that she found quite contagious.


	4. Dear Ora

**Star Wars: A Bond Awakens**

 **Chapter Three: Dear Ora**

 _Dear Ora,_

 _I am writing these two months before your final ball will begin. I am not sure when I will give this to you, but I feel the Force telling me it's soon. As much as I wish a normal life for you, I know that being who you are and entangled with Ben, that won't happen anytime soon. But I do hope you still find the happiness in everything as you do now._

 _The reason I am writing this is because you need to know, or probably you already know, that you and Ben Solo have a special connection within the Force that I haven't heard of in ages. What you feel, he feels and vise versa. What you see, he can see if you allow it. I recall when you two were younger a stray dog unable to use it's front leg. Somehow, and I really am unsure how, you two together managed to heal the mutt. I truly believe there can be so much more good done with the two of you than I or anyone have seen before._

 _You know, however, where the problem lies. Or, you will._

 _Ben is a struggling child. His views are narrow, his temper great, and he only seems to think of one person. Most of the time he doesn't think about what he's doing at all. That is why I ask for something of you. Something that may be harder than you might think._

 _I need you to be patient with Ben. I need you to put yourself physically at a distance, but stay in connection with him through the Force. Make sure he is okay and when he needs it, love him. I believe that you-if no one else-can bring him back to the light. I fear now he is already gone to the dark. It's just a matter of time before he leaves this temple and you and I for Snoke. I am unsure how but Snoke has tapped into him and manipulated his emotions._

 _Be cautious, but be loving._

 _The Jedi council from before me was wrong to tell my father and every other Jedi to stay away from love because right now, that is the only thing that will bring him home._

 _Luke._

She knew Luke wasn't trying to, but she felt an extremely heavy weight now resting upon her shoulders.

If she wasn't enough the first time around, she wouldn't be for the next.

Ora pushed all thoughts aside and shoved the letter into her pocket.

"What's that?" Rey asked sitting next to her.

"Just a letter from the one and only Luke Skywalker."

Rey lit up again, "Really?"

Ora will gladly admit that she relished being seen so highly. It had been so long since she felt so special. Not that Han and Chewy didn't, but they were simply close family growing up, and sometimes-or most of the time-family forgets that encouragement and celebration is never not needed.

"Yes, really," Ora smiled at Rey with pride.

"What does it say?"

Ora stopped there and changed the subject, "Would you begin teaching me the language of the droid?"

Rey laughed at her funny tone. "Yea, sure."

xxxRey's Point of Viewxxx

It has been a couple days and the lessons were actually going quite great. Ora didn't find it as hard to keep up with BB-8, but sometimes BB-8 was just beeping much too fast for her to understand. Rey could see it in her furrow brows sometimes glaring at him when he wouldn't slow down.

Rey found herself surprised she was such a good teacher for having no one to talk to for so long on Jakku. The two young women both appreciated one another's company for neither had a friend of the female sort. Rey also loved how quickly they became so close as if they were truly family. Same could be said for Finn, though he was a different kind of company altogether.

They were close to Takodana, and Rey and Han were in the pit preparing for the atmosphere break and the landing.

"Why was Ora able to escape but nobody else?" Rey asked.

Han was quiet for a moment. "Luke brought her to me first. It was weird how he spoke to me through my own mind. It was lucky I was in the same system as the temple to even be able to pick her up. I could see her brokenness when Luke brought her to the freighter. There was a fire in her eyes that wanted to turn away from us and go back into the temple. I knew that fire. It was the same fire that burns in my son now and even back then. I know now that she tried her best to listen to Luke when all she wanted was to go back and find Ben." His tone was so solemn.

Rey looked at him and the pain in his face, but he kept his eyes looking out onto Takodana. "Ben is your son. Ben turned into Kylo Ren?"

"Yes."

"Ben was her friend then?"

He chuckled. "A little more than that."

"Now I kind of feel bad for asking so many questions."

He shrugged, "Has to be talked about some time. And Ora will be fine."

"Why her? Why not anyone else?"

Han clenched his jaw. The pain in him seemed much greater now than when he told the first part before. "There was going to be more, but I didn't want to risk it, so I took off. Luke believed if Ora was lost in the destruction, my son would be lost to the dark for good. Something about a Force Bond or other. Not sure that mumbo jumbo is real too. It's still hard for me to believe the Force is." He let out a bitter chuckle. "But the past ten years I've been with her, I can see why he would love her so much. She is a pretty decent kid. Got a good head on her shoulders. Just like you and Finn seem to have."

Rey's eyes went bright as the corner of her mouth slightly lifted into a smile. She looked at Han with adoration.

Finally they were on Takodana. Rey looked out the window in just as much joy as she did at Han. "I've never seen so much green in all my life."

Rey didn't notice, but Han looked at her sadly like he should have done something for her long ago, too.

xxxOraxxx

The scavenger girl was the first one off the ship. She darted outside, feeling the cool breeze on her skin and staring in awe at the waters before her. Ora walked up behind her feeling like she was the one showing her something grand.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Ora asked.

Rey could only smile. She had no words.

Han came up behind them, handing a small pistol to Rey. "You might need this."

"I think I can handle myself," she replied coolly.

"I know you do, that's why I'm giving it to you."

She took the gun happily and pointed it at the lake giving it a pretend shot of sorts. Ora laughed.

"You know how to use one of those?" Ora asked.

She scoffed, "Yea. You pull the trigger."

Ora smirked at Han.

Han chuckled. "There's a little more to it than that. You have a lot to learn. Rey, I've been thinking about bringing on some more crew. A second-mate kind of thing. Someone who can help out when Ora needs to sporadically leave on her Force-driven rendezvous." Ora blushed furiously at this, but Han smirked and simply continued. "You know Chewy, me, and Ora would appreciate some help on the Falcon and-"

Rey turned to him immediately. "Are you offering me a job?"

It was Ora's turn to light up in excitement. "Finally! I won't be the only lady around! How about it, Rey? Can you imagine?"

The smile suddenly left Rey. "I-I have to get back to Jakku. I've been away too long already."

Han sighed, pushing the gun down so she wouldn't accidently shoot someone. "That's too bad. Chewy really likes you."

"And so do I," declared Ora.

Yes, it had been much too long since she had a friend of her age around.

xxx

They walked up the castle stairs.

"Maz is a bit of an acquired taste, so I'll do most of the talking." Han laid a hand on the red metal doors. "Oh, and don't stare, you two," he said to Finn and Rey.

"At what?" the fugitives said at the same time.

"Any of it."

He opened the doors to the cantina to reveal a variety of creatures drinking, playing, singing, dancing, and talking. Ora could tell that Rey was having a hard time not staring and looking at everything. Finn, however, looked like he was scared out of his wits to even look up from the back of Han.

"Han Solo!" Maz yelled out. Everything went quiet then.

Everyone looked at them.

"Oh boy," Han whispered. "Hey Maz!"

Ora suddenly felt heat rise in her cheeks. It wasn't that she hadn't seen Maz in years, it was the fact that Finn and Rey and BB-8 were fugitives on the run. The First Order surely had someone in here ready to nark on them.

A shiver ran down her spine. Now she was like Rey, unable to stop looking around.

Maz stalked up to Han. "Where's my boyfriend?"

Ora would have laughed at that. She would have been happy to see the short, old, funny Maz had she not felt something dark in the Force. Rey noticed and gave her an odd look. Ora just shook her head, trying to keep her composure.

"Chewy's working on the Falcon."

"I like that wookie. I assume you need something," she said, "Desperately. Let's get to it then."

They all followed her to a table in the back.

BB-8 started talking to Maz. _I've got a map to Luke Skywalker._

"To Skywalker?" She laughed. "Look at you, Han. You are right back in the mess!"

Ora scanned the rest of the castle cantina, searching for suspicious creatures. A giant creature sat on a couch with a woman leaning against his rather large stomach. Two tusks stuck out below his mouth. He was god-awful to look at. The woman got up and went to the other side, taking out a recorder from her pocket and spoke into it.

 _Uh-oh._

She tried focusing herself on what was in front of her.

"Look at you, Ora. I haven't seen you in quite a few years." She stopped suddenly, adjusting her lenses on her. She crawled onto the table, coming closer and closer to her. Ora was used to it, but still, it was uncomfortable.

"What is she doing?" Finn asked. "Solo, what is she doing?"

Han looked at Ora and then Maz. "Not sure, but it can't be too good."

"You have a certain glow, Ora."

Not possible. Ora was much too paranoid and sweaty to be glowing. Maybe that was the glow: the perspiration on her face. "I'm much too exhausted to be elated about anything, Maz."

She adjusted her lenses once more and looked down at her. "Well, I'll say. Who's the father, child?"

"What?" Ora asked furrowing her brows.

Han registered what she said, and turned to Ora with that fatherly death-glare.

Suddenly Finn spoke up, "Listen, we need to get this droid to the Resistance. There is no fighting the First Order, and we don't have much time before we could get caught here, so I say you take the droid so we can leave."

It was Finn's turn to be examined. "You. I'm looking at the eyes of a man who wants to run."

Finn glared back at her, irritated things weren't picking up pace and going his way. "You don't know a thing about me. Where I'm from. What I've seen. You don't know the First Order like I do. They'll slaughter us. We all need to run."

"Hmm." Maz sat back down in her seat. Rey stopped eating her fruit, no longer enjoying the sensation.

Maz gestured towards a group who transports merchandise and creatures.

"Finn!" Rey exclaimed.

Finn leaned in and whispered, still for everyone to hear. "Come with me, Rey."

"What about BB-8? We aren't done yet. We have to get him back to _your_ base."

"I can't."

And then Finn was gone.

There were tears reaching her eyes now. She felt abandoned. She rushed after him leaving Han and Ora behind.

"Who's the girl?"

"She came to us with him and the droid on Jakku. She's Rey. Luke's daughter."

Ora turned to him, "What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You, young lady, don't get to ask why I haven't told you anything now." Han turned back to Maz, "Luke left her on Jakku to protect her. I think she was the only other one who survived the destruction of the Jedi academy he set up."

"Why didn't you tell me about her?"

Han looked at her snidely, "Listen here, Ora, I don't-"

"Oh will you two stop. Han, she is nearly thirty now. No use in trying to keep her as a child. She is an adult who has made her own decisions."

"Poor ones," he muttered.

Ora felt angry, and yet tears stung her eyes.

Maz got up and walked away, going down the stairs behind the counter.

Han sighed. The way he sighed, every time, was his way of apologizing. "Ben?"

"Who else?"

He put his head in his hands, unsure what to say or do. "Oh boy, oh boy."

There was a sharp pain in her heart. It pierced through the Force and into her.

Suddenly, there was screaming outside and Han and Ora rushed to see what was the matter. They looked up at the sky and saw the Republic being attacked with a giant ray of red light. Ora fell to her knees feeling the pain too great. She couldn't pinpoint where the pain was coming from. All she knew was that its owner was in brutal torment.


	5. We Lost Rey

**Star Wars: A Bond Awakens**

 **Chapter Four: We Lost Rey**

"Where's Rey?" Ora asked Maz as she walked out of the castle.

"Luke's lightsaber called to her. Rey is a Jedi."

"No surprise there," Ora remarked, "But where is she?"

"She ran off into the woods-"

Before the little one could say anything more, Ora ran off trying to feel Rey's Force. The young scavenger was afraid. She could feel it.

Ora ran harder, catching a quick glimpse of Rey running deeper into the woods. Rey finally stopped to catch her breath, and Ora came running right up to her side.

"Why are you following me?"

"Because there is trouble coming, and I wanted to make sure you are okay."

Rey scrunched her brows but didn't say anything.

Suddenly, BB-8 came running up to her seeing if she was alright as well.

Rey merely shook her head. "You must go back BB-8, you're too important. No. I have to leave."

Ora's eyes went wide. "Leave? Rey, there isn't anything on Jakku. If you've been waiting for someone for that long, maybe they aren't coming back. Maybe you have to find them yourself? But you can do it with me and Han and Chewy. And it's clear BB-8 really wants you to come too."

"No," she said sternly. "I can't. I have to go back."

Up above them zoomed dozens of First Order ships and barracks. Chills ran down Ora's spine and Rey's eyes started watering in fear. She looked at Ora to do something, but she wasn't sure anyone could do much of anything. Ora thought hard, then looked at the gun tucked in the band of Rey's outfit.

"You have a gun. Take it out and be prepared. Let's get back to the others."

Rey nodded, and they both ran back to the castle with tie fighters flying fast overhead. She began to feel something strange in the Force, something strange in her. She remembered the letter Luke wrote for her all those years ago; how there was a bond between Ben and herself. Then she realized it was him he was feeling. He was very close.

BB-8 and the two young women stopped at the edge of the woods watching Maz's castle being blast to crumbling pieces. The tallest tower came crashing down on the statue of Maz, putting it all to pieces. Ora felt angry again, like everything was just being taken from her. Why couldn't she receive anything? Why couldn't anything stay constant for her? For _any_ of them? The First Order destroyed Ben, they destroyed the Republic, they took Rey's family away, they destroyed the temple, they destroyed the rest of the Jedi.

Fortunately and unfortunately, there was no time to dwell on such negativities for there was a stormtrooper receiving orders over a communication device. Rey struggled to hold her gun up as she started blasting at the white-armored trooper immediately, but there was only a click and no blast.

"Oh shoot, the safety," Rey whispered, struggling again.

Ora switched her saber on, unsure whether she could actually fight. She never really had to and Han didn't want her to ever use it. She was to be hidden and kept safe. If it had gotten out she was a Jedi, she would have a bounty on her by the First Order. It had been nearly a decade since she used this. The only practice she had was with the Marksman and that was just a remote, not an actual living thing.

The trooper shot at them, but Ora was able to deflect it not so easily. She felt panicked just as much as Rey was. There was a vibration in her saber letting her know she just barely deflected it. It was quite clear how very unpracticed she was.

It took Rey only two shots, thank the Force, for her to hit the trooper right in the shoulder. He fell to the ground, still, and Rey looked at the out-of-practice Jedi with sadness and fear in her eyes.

First kill.

But she recovered herself and shot at a few other troopers who were aiming at them.

"Don't," Ora said. "Just run."

And they did.

The trooper was chasing them down. BB-8 let out some distressful beeps while Ora tried combating the energy beams from the blaster. She missed almost every time.

"It's clear you haven't used that thing in some time," Rey panted as they continued running.

"Yea. Haven't used it much." Ora kept right behind Rey to try and keep her back burn-free from the shooting. She wasn't sure how the scavenger was running so well with all the loose cloth wrapping and flying around her. Ora slowed only slightly so she didn't get caught up in it.

Still running.

Ora turned around quickly, feeling the trooper quite close and managed to stick her lightsaber right through him. He dropped to the ground hard. Suddenly, the half-trained Jedi stopped.

"What are you doing? We need to keep going. There are more, I'm sure," Rey said in a tizzy.

"I feel him coming."

Rey furrowed her brows, confused. "Who?"

"Nevermind that. BB-8, you must run and hide. You can't be caught by the Order. Go on," Ora demanded. She kept her tone harsh so he would listen without further arguments and he did. He rolled his way out of sight and out of mind.

Ora looked above, feeling, finally, a positive movement in the Force. Her smile was just as big as when Rey realized Han Solo was in fact Han Solo. "The Resistance. They're here."

Rey looked up as well seeing an X-Wing take out four Tie fighters at once. Suddenly the scavenger's smile faded. "I feel him, too."

The two women jumped down into a small ditch and hid themselves behind a fallen trunk.

"Ora," Rey whispered, "You have to go back. Back to Han and Finn. You can't be here."

"If you think I'm leaving you to fend for yourself, kid, you have another thing coming."

Rey clenched her jaw. The forest was much too quiet for either of their likings. Rey held her gun up, reading to shoot. She kept it aimed ahead of her, and Ora put forth her saber, readying herself as well. They had their backs to each other, covering more area of vision.

Ora felt him right here as Rey let out a small gasp and began shooting. Ora couldn't find herself to turn and look.

"You must go, Ora. You can't think about yourself anymore. I didn't miss what Maz said."

The half-trained Jedi began to run back towards the crumbled cantina. She hated herself then for pushing aside her protective, dutiful instincts and running away from the innocent scavenger to save herself.

 _But it isn't just you you're saving anymore._

She could hear the scratching sounds of the girl's blasts being deflected. She could hear the cries of her struggle and the gasps of her failures. And yet, she kept running; every step of the way, hating herself and what she had done to Rey more and more.

The fight was still raging on. Blasts were spewing every which way, and people were falling lifeless to the ground. Thankfully, more troopers falling than others. It was a death bath, but the Resistance was here now and she felt just a slight ray of hope that everything will be okay.

Ora ran to Chewy and Han immediately, tears streaming down her eyes. She had never cried like this in front of anymore, but she couldn't help it.

"Han!" Ora yelled. "I'm so sorry! I left her. I left her all alone and I shouldn't have, but I did and-"

He didn't answer her, he only stared straight behind her. Ora turned in the direction she was looking, watching the hooded figure carry an unconcious Rey on board of his black command ship.

This was all her doing.

"No!" she yelled. She tried focusing on the ship, running after it with such blurred vision, but Chewy groaned and grabbed her arm.

Only the stormtroopers looked in her direction at her fit of screaming, and Finn did just the same, only he wasn't being held back. He ran and ran as hard as he could towards the ship, crying out "No!" over and over. On the way, he threw the blaster he was holding down, trying with all his strength to sprint as fast as he could, but it was too late. The ship closed up and took off into the sky.

"NO!" Finn screamed. "REY!"

Ora looked away saddened and ashamed. She saw Han's face and he was angry, but tried to sympathize with the rest of them. It wasn't working all that well for him.

Finn ran back. "Did you see that? He took her. Ora, you were supposed to protect her and you left! This is your fault. You should have stayed, and she should have run back. Not you!"

Han waved a hand for them to be quiet. A transport landed right in front of them and opened up with Resistance soldiers walking out to asses the damage and injuries. C3-PO walked out to greet Ora and Han, but Ora wasn't having any of his rambling chatter. She immediately walked past him and hugged Leia with all her might, feeling she had somehow betrayed her too.

"I'm so sorry, Leia." Ora repeated it over without explanation, but somehow the general didn't need one.

Leia hugged right back, "Don't worry, child. Everything will be alright in the end. You know that."

She shook her head. "Not if the First Order isn't annihilated." There was an anger burning in her now, but Leia put a hand on her cheek to calm her in a gentle and motherly way.

Ora knew she needed to see Han, so she backed away for a moment to let them see each other.

Whenever Ora visited Leia, it was always without Han. He seemed to avoid her as much as possible, feeling like a failure, she assumed, what with Ben gone and having a drive to travel so often. Leia, on the other hand, buried herself so deep in being general and leading the Resistance, that she too felt like it was her fault for not only Ben but for a crumpled, breaking marriage.

"Different hair," Han said awkwardly.

Leia smiled at his trying. "Same jacket."

Han shook his head. "No, no, different jacket."

Lies. Ora actually managed a smile.

Chewy walked over, groaning his greetings and giving the general a big hairy hug.

"I saw him," Han said. Ora looked away then. "I saw our son. He was here."

Ora walked towards the Falcon, leaving them to their private talk.

Sitting on the bench in front of the holo table, she took out Luke's letter again, reading each word carefully as if it was a lifeline. _I need you to put yourself physically at a distance, but stay in connection with him through the Force._ She furrowed her brows at this. She recalled a time when both herself and Ben weren't paying much attention in their lesson and Luke punished them by separating them for two days. They hadn't seen one another at all, but they find a way to contact one another. They could speak to each other through the Force. They began speaking to each other that way much more often, through one another's head, but when he started dancing with the dark side, Ora recalled, he slowly kept her out.

Ora sighed, feeling betrayed by him. He could have spoken to her these past years, but he hadn't bothered. She was now furious.

The Jedi closed her eyes, searching the galaxy for Rey's life force. _Rey._

Ora could feel Rey react, but she didn't know what to do with it. At least Ora knew she could project her thoughts into someone else's.

Looking at the letter, she read that one heavily weighted line over and over. _That is the only thing that will bring him home._

 _The only thing._

 _Love._

At this present moment the idea of such a thing seemed stupid, ridiculous.

 _Ben, don't hurt her. Please, do not hurt her._

That was all she could manage to push through the Force. She couldn't find the strength to search and project further.

 _Ora._ His voice was low and whispy. She fell off the bench in surprise. The last thing she expected was for him to talk back to her. But he did. He answered her, and now she was on the floor having fallen off the bench.

"What are you doing on the floor?" Han asked, walking into the lobby.

She quickly got up, dusting off her leggings.

"Look, the general wants to talk to you. She wants you to travel with her to the base."

"I'm not traveling with you?" Ora asked, feeling slightly hurt. He must be more upset than she originally thought.

He shrugged, but smile at her, "General's orders."

"So you aren't mad at me?"

He chuckled, giving that handsome crooked smile of his. "No, no. Just worried, I guess." He gave her an awkward hug, but held her tight. "But we sure as hell are having a talk when we get to the base," he said raising a brow, trying to look at her sternly like a father. He failed at that sometimes, but Ora loved him for trying.

Ora walked off the Falcon, making her way the general's ship. Leia greeted her at the front entrance and led her to the back of it where there was privacy for them. The ship took off just as the two women sat down at the table by the window. Ora glimpsed out to see the crumpled castle being left behind, soldiers still tending to the wounded. She was sad again.

"How are you feeling Ora?" Leia asked.

She looked at the general, the one whom was as close as a mother to her as she could be. Ora sighed. "I feel like I'm weak, like there was so much more I could have done, but instead of doing something to help, I just let everyone down."

The general smiled and laughed even. "I know it's hard not to, but you must try to remember that you can't do everything and not everything is your responsibility."

She nodded. "But I left Rey behind."

Leia gave her a sad smile. "You did. And can you tell me why you left her?"

"I couldn't face him...I couldn't face Ben." Ora looked away from Leia, unable to make eye contact.

"Ora. I know there is so much more to it than just that. What's the real reason you left?"

"Rey didn't want me to stay." Ora had little doubt that Leia would be very impatient at this point because she was doing everything she can to avoid the reasoning Leia was trying to draw out of her. But this was Leia Organa, a very patient women to those she cares about most. And after her son turning to the dark, an even more loving and patient mother who loved so unconditionally that Ora wondered where she hold all that love in her tiny being.

Leia made her tone lighter now, trying to make Ora feel happier and making sure she knew that it was okay to talk to her about anything. "Now why would this scared scavenger girl who has no family and hasn't had any friend in years want a fairly well trained Jedi to leave her when someone was about to attack her? I would want as many helpers as I could get to help me fight against the Order if I were her. So tell me, why would why be so insistant on you leaving her? Or maybe she was simply wanting you and somebody and else to be safe? It wasn't really about Rey, and it wasn't about you, was it, Ora?"

Not so surprisingly, Ora hadn't the time to wholly process Maz's implications, but now she did. She thought hard about it. She thought about how there was this tiny little being growing inside her and how she could no longer be selfish and wanting, but now she had to give up everything to make sure this child would be alright and grow up well and safe. She thought about who the father was and how she wanted him to know but at the same time didn't want him to ever know, didn't want _anyone to ever_ know. She now felt a strong maternal instinct to keep him or her close and guarded. She didn't want the child to feel any pain, and she didn't want them to know the dark side. Only the light.

"She wanted to keep the baby safe," Ora managed to say. Finally, she looked into Leia's eyes with a smile, "Han must have mentioned it."

She laughed. "Of course he did. He is very protective of you, Ora. You may not see it, but he does want the best for you. Especially knowing how hard it is now to have any kind of normal life.

"I think simply knowing where I came from shot normal out of the ship window." Ora chuckled.

"Well, I would like to make a request, if I may."

"Of course, you don't even have to ask," Ora said, laying a hand on Leia's.

"Well, I talked to Han and I would love for you to stay permanently with me. Han and Chewy would of course visit, but I don't just want to keep your child surrounded by guards, I promise I'm not trying to control anything like that, but I do need someone to help me with the Resistance. A sort of co-leader. You would have your own quarters. Your own living space, and privacy. I know that's important. With the job, you would give suggestions, advice, give a different point of view, and maybe some insight..." she trailed off.

"You want me to use the connection I have with-" she cut herself off, "And give it to the Resistance?"

Leia looked sad. Even she felt like she was betraying her own son's privacy, but they both knew some things had to be done to stop the First Order. Still, Ora couldn't say yes.

"I can't gaurantee insight, but I would happily do everything else."

"I understand." She stood up and Ora did too. The general gave her a gentle hug, and Ora felt like despite not having a blood family, she couldn't ask for a better family than Leia and Han and the rest of the Resistance.

"Well, we've all had a rough day. You can rest in this back room. I'm going to talk to the pilot."

"Thank you, General," Ora said, smiling.

"Oh, don't bother. Leia, Ora."

She smiled bigger right before Leia left the room.

The young Jedi laid down on the bed, pulling the covers over her. She closed her eyes, searching again.

 _Rey, are you alright?_

It took a few moments, but Ora was happy that Rey broke through and answered. _Yes._

Ora shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	6. Revenge of the Sith

**Star Wars: A Bond Awakens**

 **Chapter Five: Revenge of the Sith**

 _Ora stepped off the ship onto a metal platform with blazing flames all around her. She wasn't sure what she was doing there, and she felt an eerie, bad aura all around her. But she knew she had to be here. She had to talk to him._

 _She saw the figure approaching in a long black cloak. His hair light brown and shaggy. His eyes were bloodshot. He looked like he was tormented._

 _He ran up to her and she to him. They embraced tightly._

 _"I saw your ship," he said, letting her go but not completely. "What are you doing out here?"_

 _She looked up at him, holding onto his arms, feeling something slip away. "I was so worried about you. Obi-Wan told me terrible, awful things. He said you've turned to the dark side. That you...that you've killed younglings. Anakin, please tell me these things are not so."_

 _He clenched his jaw. There were dark circles under his eyes. "Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me."_

 _Ora shook her head, trying to show how much love she held for him through her touch and her sparkling eyes. "No. He cares. He cares about us."_

 _"Us?"_

 _She nodded. "He knows. He wants to help you. Anakin, all I want is your love."_

 _He furrowed his brows down at her. "Love won't save you, Padme. Only my new powers can do that."_

 _Padme? Ora was confused, but she continued, unable to control her dream._

 _"But at what cost? You are a good person! Don't do this, please," Ora begged._

 _"I won't lose you like I've lost my mother. I'm becoming more powerful than any Jedi could have dreamed of. And I'm doing it for you. To protect you."_

 _Her heart sank. She began to feel empty; like she lost her very soul._

 _In desperation, she stroked his hair with both her hands. "Anakin, come away with me. Help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind while we still can."_

 _He shook his head. There was a twisted smile now planted on his lips. "Don't you see? We don't have to run away anymore. I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the Jedi Councilor, and I can overthrow him! And together, you and I can rule the entire galaxy!"_

 _Ora backed away from him, feeling more scared than anything else. "I-I don't believe what I'm hearing. Obi-Wan was right. You've changed." Tears were streaming down her face. She wondered how in all the galaxy she ended up here._

 _"Don't you turn against me, too, Padme," Anakin growled._

 _She shook her head. She couldn't believe this. Any of it. "I don't know you anymore. Anakin...you're breaking my heart." The sobs couldn't be stopped now. "You're going down a path that I can't follow."_

 _"Because of Obi-Wan?"_

 _"Because of what you've done, and what you plan to do. Stop. Please, just stop now and come back! I love you more than anything in all the galaxy! Please."_

 _Anakin looked up seeing Obi-Wan on the ramp of the ship. "You liar!" he yelled. There was so much rage in the pits of his eyes, Ora wasn't sure who was standing right in front of her._ _He circled her now. "You're with him. You brought him here to kill me."_

 _"No-" But it was too late. Anakin force-choked her. She felt the air being cut off. She put her hands around her neck trying to pull away, but nothing was working. Ora began seeing spots as her vision faded. There was a glitch in Anakin's figure. He glitched out and Ben appeared before her with complete darkness in his eyes. No sign of Ben at all._

 _Ora felt herself give up._

 _"Let her go, Kylo Ren!" demanded Obi-Wan._

 _He did, and she fell into unconciousness._

* * *

Ora woke up with a hard jerk. She struggled for breath, scratching at her neck to open her airway.

Leia and Han rushed in, hearing her panicked cry. They saw the scared woman who now looked like a terrified little child crying a pool of tears. Leia brought her into her arms. shushing her like she truly was a mere child. "Shh. It's alright."

"Ben," she whispered. "Ben."

xxx

When she finally calmed, Han pressed for answers as to what happened in her nightmare. Leia tried to get him to back off, but she too was curious and wanting to ease the young woman's mind.

She told them everything that happened. Including how Anakin turned into Kylo Ren. Han was quiet. He was never sure what to say with most things like this. Leia was different. Sometimes it seemed like she knew just the right thing to say. But this time was not one of those times.

"Anakin didn't have parents like normal people do. He was like you. A product of the Force. Pure Force prophesized to bring balance to the light and the dark. But he turned into Darth Vader. That's who he became after the dark side consumed him. Padme was my and Luke's mother. She died giving birth to us."

Yes, Ora knew all of this already. "Do you think Ben would do that? Is history going to repeat itself?"

Leia looked sadly at her. "Ben would not do that. But Anakin didn't do anything but love Padme either. It was Vader who hurt her."

Ora didn't want to hear anymore, so she stood up and walked out of the room.

They were now at the base. Someone must have carried her to her quarters to sleep. She was so exhausted she hadn't noticed.

"Hey, kid," Han Solo said, walking up behind her. She continued to walk down the corridors, trying to find her way outside. He kept up with her. "I know Ben would never do anything to you, and I know Kylo Ren wouldn't either."

Ora smiled, but her thoughts got the best of her. "How can someone hurt someone they love? And that someone was pregnant with his child. How? It doesn't make sense."

"Sometimes the dark side makes people do things they truly don't want. That's probably the worst thing about the dark side. But Ben is different from Anakin, I think. He won't hurt you. There is too much light in him and too much love for you for him to do such a thing. Maybe if he knew about..."

"I don't know if he should know about him...or her."

"Or them," Han smirked.

Ora laughed. "No, no, no. One is enough for me." She gave him a big hug. Not for just talking to her, but making her feel a little better.

"I think we should talk about the connection...the bond you have with Ben. You might be able to use that to bring him back home."

xxxKylo Renxxx

He glanced at the unconscious girl strapped in the room. He felt wary and angry. He saw her dream. Ora's dream. It wasn't him, he wanted to tell her, but what use would that be. There was so much he'd done and so much he hadn't over so many years, that it was much too late now to begin over again; to try and make her see that he still cherished and her presence.

But she didn't know about that either. He had been watching her, feeling for her presence in case she was in trouble, feeling the Force around her. He knew of her pain during the battle on Takodana. He knew how helpless she felt when she left Rey behind. But that was something that confused him entirely. Ora was not the person to leave anyone behind. Stranger or otherwise. She would have stayed, ignoring the scavenger scum's plea to leave.

Kylo clenched his jaw. She must have hated him more than he thought.

The scavenger jerked herself awake. She looked around the room, laying her eyes finally on Kylo Ren who was seated before her.

"Where am I?" she asked. She tried holding back her fear, but her voice was slathered with it.

"You're my guest." It was time now. He was now listening intently to her mind and every word and thought that came through it.

"Where is everyone else? The others?"

Kylo narrowed his eyes at her, but she couldn't see. He kept his helmet on, but his hood lay back on his shoulders. "You mean the murderers? The traitors? The thieves you call friends? You will be relieved to hear I have no idea. But you still want to kill me?"

 _This is who Ora and Han were speaking of?_ she thought. _He's a monster, heartless._

The masked figure clenched his jaw tightly.

"That's what happens when you're being hunted by a creature in a mask."

He stared at her for a moment, feeling impatient by the dancing around subjects. So, he took his helmet off. He saw her face soften and her brows furrow in confusion. She was expecting to see a monster.

 _He's just a child. A young man whom Ora somehow loves. He so...normal._

Her thoughts bleed through her so easily. It wasn't hard to hear everything she was thinking. He tried forcing the thought of Ora out of his mind as he slammed his helmet into a plate of ashes, angry with himself for being so weak whenever he heard her name.

Rey found it hard to look him in the eye when he came so close to her. Good. He intimidated her...even without the helmet.

"Tell me about the droid," he gently demanded.

She started spewing technical specifications of the droid. Information he found utterly useless. "He's carrying a section of the navigational chart. Well, we have the rest," he lied. "We recovered it from the archives of the Empire, but we need the last piece. And somehow you convinced the droid to show it to you. You. A scavenger."

The girl said nothing. But he watched the fear slowly fade, turning into anger.

"You know, I can take whatever I want." He reached for her head and began using the Force to pull out whatever he could from her mind. "You are so lonely. So afraid to leave. At night, desperate to sleep, you imagine an ocean. I see it. I see the island. And Han Solo. You feel like he's the father you never had. Well, he would have disappointed you."

She was angry now. "Get out of my head!"

He stood back, feeling her having pushed back. He didn't show it, but he was concerned. She used the Force. Looking at her now, he knew what he had suspected was true. She was the little girl Luke grabbed and ran off with into the galaxy during the battle at the temple. He turned back to her, ready to push a little more. "I know you've seen the map. It's in there." He used his Force, ready to use it more powerfully if she wouldn't concede. "And now you'll give it to me."

There was a struggle between them. He felt her push back harder and harder. She was somehow gaining resistance against him by using the Force which she had never actually used before. He was growing angrier, struggling to stay calm. He can't hurt her. Not when Ora asked him not to.

 _Ora._ She called out. _Don't think about it. Don't think about Maz and what she said._

"Don't be afraid. I feel it too."

Rey looked confused, still struggling to push back. "I'm not giving you anything."

He forgot about the droid just then. He was focusing now on pulling whatever she was talking about out of her head, but she was stronger than he anticipated. He pushed even harder, and she gasped through the struggle. And suddenly, her struggle was gone. She was now staring at him with fierce eyes, ready to take on anything.

"You," Rey said with vile thick in her voice, "You are afraid that Ora will never love you again."

He let her go angry at having been pushed out by someone so new to the Force. He stared at her, trying to contain his composure. "Tell me what this Maz said to you and Ora. Now."

She shook her head. "It's not for me to say. And with as much monstrosity as you hold, maybe you will never know."

He glared at her, his jaw tightening. He struggle not to pull his saber on her. With much reluctance, he stormed out of the prisoner's room.

xxx

Snoke was angry with him for not being able to get what they needed out of the scavenger, but he tried defending himself.

Hux seemed to have the upper hand in this meeting. "We've located their base in the Illenium system. We'll be able to power up the weapon and destroy them all."

Kylo Ren shuttered on the inside. He couldn't help but think that Ora might have gone there with the rest of the Resistance. As much as he hated the thought of her so close to Snoke, maybe he should have asked her to come with him, to come to the dark side.

It didn't matter now, though. She would have denied him anyway.

He didn't want this. He didn't want Ora annihilated as Hux was intending. He spoke up trying to hide his desperation. "Leader, I can get the map from the girl. I just need your guidance.

"If what you say about this girl is true...bring her to me."

"Yes, Leader."

He turned, but Snoke continued. "And Kylo Ren, if you ever see Ora, bring her to me, too."

Kylo didn't turn to look at Snoke nor did he answer him. He couldn't show the pain and worry in his face as he walked out.

xxx

Ora was anxious and worried now. She had no idea why, but she felt in the Force.

Ben.

Something was wrong.

She knew that Rey was okay. She told her as much not long after her plea for help. Ora felt so utterly responsible for the scavenger's position that she felt irritated standing amongst the Resistance, waiting for an opportunity. She just wanted to save her now.

Finn did too. He came down with Poe and demanded they save her as soon as possible.

Suddenly, she heard his voice again in her head, willing her to see him and his distressed thoughts. _They are going to destroy everything in the Illenium system. Ora, tell me you aren't there with the Resistance._

She ran over to Leia. "Leia, they are charging a weapon to destroy us. They know where we are. I think it will take about three months to charge it. But once it's charge...they have the entire Illenium system at their mercy."

For just a quick second you could see the fear in the general's eyes, but she quickly pushed that aside. A general was strong and brought order. Fear had no place when figuring out how to stop the destruction of an entire system.

"How do you know this?" Finn asked.

Leia looked at her. "He spoke to you through the Force didn't he?"

Ora nodded once.

"Wait a second. What Maz meant-you were like _with him?_ Like _actually_ with him?"

Leia gave Finn a tight smile. "Now isn't the time to talk about the personal lives of others. We need to come up with a plan to stop the destruction as soon as possible.

 _My love, I am here._ Ora felt his love pour through the Force. She no longer wanted to hide from him. She knew even if she tried, she couldn't. And she needed to tell him; tell him straight away. _Ben, there's something you must know._

"Poe, gather everyone into the meeting room. Finn, you follow Poe. Ora, Han, come with me." They all walked swiftly to the meeting room. There were many Resistance members trying to access the First Order's location and take apart the blueprints of their base. It was all tedious and time-consuming and it burned in her heart how she saw each and every one of them try their best to gather what they could; though it was so little.

 _What is it, Ora? What aren't you telling me?_

C3-PO took the map out of BB-8 and placed it in the center console of the meeting room. "General, I regret to inform you that the map recovered is only part of the original. Even worse, it matches no charted system record. We simply do not have enough information to track down Master Luke."

Leia shook her head. "I just wish I could find my own brother and bring him home."

 _Ora, tell me._ There was anger now seeping into her from his Force.

"Leia," Han began, but she stopped him.

"Don't do that." The general walked away.

"What?"

"Anything," she stated.

C3-PO shook his golden head. "Princesses."

Han jogged to Leia, trying to talk to her.

Ora looked at the map, wishing nothing bad had happened to him, or to the rest of the academy. But wishing was useless. Nothing could change the past and that's why she hated it so.

"You think someone could invent a time machine, 3-PO?" she asked.

"I don't think so because to alter time could potentially prevent someone from making the time machine itself, Princess, so no one would have the ability to go back in time to begin with."

"I'm no princess. I'm just Ora."

"General Leia says she is your legal guardian, so I must say the title of my masters. Of course, if you will for me to just call you Ora, I will be much obliged."

Ora looked surprised at the golden droid. She looked over to Han and Leia who were talking. Probably about their son.

C3-PO watched BB-8 bang his head against R2-D2's still metal body. PO then walked over to him, letting him know it was useless.

She looked back at Han and Leia, wishing there was something she could do to comfort both of them. Force knows her dreams she had to let them know about didn't help their doubts about their own son. Letting the negative thoughts, go she went back into her quarters.

It was a rather big room. The bed was pushed into one corner and there was a drawer already full of her clothes. The wardrobe as well. There was a third dresser that Leia put in, saying that it was for anything that was the baby's. Something so simple made what was growing inside her all the more real. Everytime she spoke of the child, Leia beamed with joy. Ora believed it was because she could finally be close to something that was part of her son whom she hadn't seen in years.

Thinking about not seeing her child...losing her child, that tore apart her very soul.

She hugged her lower stomach, determined to never let that happen.

But didn't Leia and Padme before her vow the same thing?


	7. As Weeks Go By

**Star Wars: A Bond Awakens**

 **Chapter Six: As the Weeks Go By**

It has been eleven weeks. Everyone was running out of time. Finn was utterly impatient. Ora was the same. Every day Poe, Finn, and Ora mostly sat in silence at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They all sat together still, and all three thought hard about what they could do to help, but none of them could figure out what they could do other then clean, man the ships, and listen in on everything they could when there was a meeting.

"You're starting to show," Poe noted one evening at dinner.

Ora looked down at herself. It didn't help that she hadn't bothered to find properly fitting clothing either. Her clothes were now tighter on her.

Finn couldn't look at her. He still blamed her for most everything. More importantly, he blamed her for having lost Rey. "Have you spoken to Rey lately?"

This was about all he talked to Ora about. At an attempt to make him feel better or even like her a little more, she told him she had spoken to her through the Force. He felt better, yes, but he certainly didn't like much more now than he did before. Ora shook her head. Ben and Rey were quiet. She purposely avoided speaking to Ben, but Rey hadn't been answering her at all. She can't blame her of course. She was neither trained, nor in decent conditions to communicate, Ora imagined.

"No, but remembered she is untrained in the Force."

"She is being tortured, _Ora,"_ he exclaimed, "Of course she wouldn't find the will to communicate."

General Leia walked up to them, smiling. Or at least trying. "If you don't mind, I would like to borrow Ora for the day."

Finn waved his hand nonchalantly, and Poe nodded.

Ora stood up having finished her food and walked with Leia towards the ships outside on the landing. "So, I've been thinking that we could have just a private day with no responsibilities or thought of what's been going on. Just you and me."

The young women lit up at the thought. "Oh! Where will we go?"

"Well, there is this small planet just outside with many markets and shops. I thought maybe we could find something more fitting. You have filled out quite nicely for being only twelve weeks along." She continued talking as they boarded the ship that was all ready to go for them with a pilot and a co-pilot to take them away. It was nice to see outerspace again. Ora had missed it. "When I was ten weeks pregnant with Ben everyone was shocked at how big I was so early. But let me tell you, that not only was he a huge baby, but being as small as I am, that doesn't help either."

Ora laughed. "Well, this baby better be normal sized because I hear it's painful as is without having a bigger child."

"Oh, don't fret over that. There are plenty of drugs they will shoot you up with to ease the pain," Leia smiled.

This. This was when she was happiest. Talking freely with someone she calls family, having the evil out of her mind, being able to laugh and talk about something beautiful. This is what she wanted for the rest of her life.

It was right then her smile faded and she realized how tired she was of always wishing, always wondering what if. Never being able to ease her mind of Ben. It was all so exhausting to carry such a weight on her shoulders and to feel so betrayed by someone who said to love her.

"Are you alright, Ora?" Leia asked as she poured some tea into two small cups.

"Yes."

"We have an hour until we get there, but I was wondering if you could tell me anything about...you know, when you and Ben were training with Luke. I'm sorry to ask, but Ben never contacted me or his father. I know nothing about when he was younger."

Ora ripped open a sugar packet and put a little in. She didn't want to go back into the past and dig up lost memories she very much wished she could relive again, but she knew little about her own son. How could she keep him all to herself? Ora searched through her memories, picking out which ones were best, but making sure not to leave out the worst either. Because both went hand in hand and even when it was bad, it brought out a lot of good.

"Well, I had grown up, as you know, my entire life with Luke. And I remember when I was seven years old, this strange and quiet boy came to the temple with Luke. I think he wanted us to be close because of his connection with each of us. There was only two other younglings. Both siblings. Brothers. But they weren't very nice, so it was really just Ben and I. He was kind of mean at first, giving one-worded sentences whenever I tried to start a conversation with him. But eventually, I got him to smile. And I will say that he has the most contagious smile I've ever seen in my twenty-eight years." Just thinking about his smile made her smile. She tried to hide it when she saw that Leia was looking with such pride in her eyes, but she was happy she couldn't. "It had been a few months at that point and Luke was teaching us how kindness could mean the littlest of differences in a person..."

xxxOra-Seven Years Oldxxx

Luke released the four children to play on the temple grounds. Ora sat small little self under a tree thinking hard of what she could do for each of the children there. Maybe if she did something nice as Master Luke said, she could make the kids be nicer to her and Ben. But it was hard. The small planet they were on contained nothing more than salt water and rocks.

She was more concentrated on Ben, however. Maybe she could make him a pet rock. Lifeless as they are, they seemed pretty cool especially on such a lonely, far away planet in the middle of nowhere.

It took some time, but finally she decided to simply write an encouraging letter for Ben and each of the other students there. Running back to her chambers, she ripped out a piece of paper from a book and began writing on the back of it.

 _Dear Ben,_

 _Even though you can be a little mean sometimes, I know you are beautiful at heart and the greatest friend in the whole galaxy. I'm glad Luke brought you here. If there wasn't you, I wouldn't have any friends. And I think you will be the most brilliant Jedi of all of us. You just wait!_

 _And if there is anything you want or need, you can always ask me. I'll be there for you. Promise!_

 _Love, Ora._

She sealed the letter messily with some tape and went off to find Ben, completely forgetting about the rest of the students. Soon enough, she found him sitting in the grass messing with something. The rest of the way, she skipped happily, plopping herself down next to him. He jumped slightly, hiding whatever he had from her.

"What's that?" she asked nosily.

He furrowed her brows at her. "None of your business."

She smiled despite his bluntness. "I wrote this for you, Ben. Will you read it now?"

He took it with his free hand, but gave it back. "Hold on. Okay. I'm done. I made this for you." He handed her an object of grass that was weaving in and out to make a heart.

Ora lit up like a fire. "I love it!" She shoved herself into his vacinity and gave him a giant hug. When she pulled away, she saw how bright and beautiful his smile was, and that's when she realized that the best thing she had ever seen was that.

She gave him the note again. She looked at him intently. So intently that she noticed he read it twice. He looked up, and to her delight was smiling once more. "Thank you."

xxxOra-Presentxxx

"There was nothing more rewarding for me than to see him smile." Ora began to laugh and said, "If Luke could, I know he would bribe me to stay out of trouble with it."

A tear streamed down Leia's cheek. She looked at Ora with as much pride and love as she would her own. "Thank you for telling me."

Ora nodded. She took her dishes to the ship's sink and rinsed them clean.

"We're here!" the pilot said over the intercom. Ora rushed to the window like a child and looked out at the beautiful green town surrounding them. It was a quaint place, but full of people and trinkets and chatter. There was a stand for everything from snacks to furniture and tools.

Ora ran off the ship as soon as she could with Leia amused right behind her.

There was a sweet smell in the air. She followed the scent to a stand with as many sweets as there were stars in the sky. Her mouth was watering a pool. "I'll take one of those. Maybe one of everything..."

"Slow down there," Leia laughed. "Don't want to over eat."

"It all looks so good though. How about you pick for me?"

Leia pointed before the merchant. "Two of those, please." The general allowed Ora to use her own credits to pay for the sweets, but insisted she spoil her the rest of the day.

"I think you'll be able to do plenty of spoiling when the baby arrives."

She smiled with excitement. "That child will most definitely be spoiled by both his grandparents. I will garauntee you that, Ora."

"He? So you think the baby is a boy then."

"With how you look now, I have no doubt."

They both laughed, chowing down on their sweets.

"If I could live off of any one food in the world, it would be this cinnamon biscuit. It tastes absolutely amazing," she said, finishing the biscuit off.

"Oh, here is a shop with some clothes. Let's see if we can't find any that fit."

There was an older lady and her thirty-something son sitting in front of a house with racks upon racks of different clothing. Ora walked up to them. She was going to speak, but she didn't have to.

"Maternity clothes?" the elder asked. "We have plenty of those over there. Kall, go show her where they are. My feet are too banged up to walk very far."

He was handsome man, a few inches taller than she, and he carried himself with much more confidence and happiness for someone in such a small town. The man gave her a nice smile, leading her to a rack furthest away from the small hut. "We also have a fitting room just about the corner of the house if you need one."

Ora nodded, "Thank you."

He walked back over to his mother again.

Leia and she examined each article, finding something practical and fitting. That's when she noticed a beautiful lengthy tunic with leggings that wasn't only just attractive to look at, but appeared logical to wear in battle. Ora frowned at how she even had to think of going into battle at all.

 _No, this is supposed to be a happy, relaxing day._

"Look at this, Leia. Look how pretty the details on the tunic are! I've never seen anything like it!"

Leia definitely approved. "Go on and try it! And don't you change back until I see you in it!"

Ora nodded with plenty of joy, rushing in to try it on. When she came out, Leia looked at her amazed. "Well, I'll say that if you wish to hide, this will not do, but it's the most beautiful thing I've seen on anyone. And I'm sure it's only because a beautiful woman and child are filling it out. You should leave it on. I'll go pay for it. Here. Let me take your other clothes."

She payed for the tunic and leggings while Ora admired herself in the mirror. She was right, there wasn't much hiding herself in this unless someone were to only look at her back, but it was comfortable and elegant just the same.

Ora turned towards Leia who was chatting away with the man and elder lady. Feeling satisfied, she walked back to the counter beside Leia. It was clear they had been talking a bit about her.

"Don't you worry, child," the lady said. "You are just such a tiny human that it's no wonder you look so pregnant."

The young Jedi laughed. "I think I'm getting used to it."

"Well," Leia said, picking up where she left off before Ora interrupted, "I would love to have your son in the Resistance. We could use all the pilots and members we can get with what's going on now. If you can fly as well as you say you can, I would be most grateful for your service and your volunteering for the cause. We are low as it is, but our staff is working hard and we might be able to succeed in destroying their weapon."

Ora looked Kall whose chestnut brown hair was long and tied in the back. One pilot more. What use was it? Would one more pilot make any difference against a fleet of First Order pilots? Would there be any way to actually be successful in saving the Resistance? She hated how doubt crept so easily into her mind.

The man looked up, catching Ora staring absentmindedly. Ora blushed, looking away, ashamed for being rude.

"Yes, I would love to join the Resistance. I will do all I can, even if I can only fight in a ship. I'll do it," he said with a smile radiating with confidence and care.

"Well, we will continue around the town and when we are finished, we will meet you back here, and we will take you to the base."

"I'll be waiting."

They shook hands. Leia thanked him again, and they were off about the rest of the town, searching for more items and clothing that would be needed in the future.

"He was kind of cute," she remarked.

Ora's brows raised. "Are you suggesting..."

She stopped walking; Ora followed suit. The tone became more serious than the young Jedi anticipated. "Well, all I'm saying is you shouldn't dwell too much on the past. Right now, you should have yourself a bit of fun. Force knows, everyone right now needs it."

"The thought is unbearable. Not because I believe I'll be with Ben again, but because I don't want to lead anyone on knowing that I can only love him."

Leia's eyes were sad. She took Ora's hand and squeezed it. "I hope Ben sees how much you and I and his father love him. And I hope he sees how loyal and amazing you are."

"I wouldn't go that far," Ora said light-heartedly, "But I do hope he knows." She looked around, seeing that they covered most of the shops and having gotten what they wanted and needed. "Well, I'm exhausted. How about you?"

"I'm old," the general remarked with a coy smile, "I'm always exhausted."

xxx

The three boarded the ship, the pilot taking off immediately. Some new information was found at the base and they needed to speak to the general right away.

Leia was talking to Han over a holo in the next room while her and the man sat at the table drinking more tea.

"How long have you been in the Resistance?" he asked.

"I guess...for ten years now I suppose."

He nodded. "That was when the Jedi temple burned and Luke disappeared."

"Yes, it was."

"So, I was wondering maybe you could show me around the base when we arrive?" he asked.

There was kindness in his eyes, and she needed to immediately shut it down. "My soul belongs to another. I'm sorry."

He chuckled, "I didn't mean anything more than a tour. My apologies for making you think otherwise."

Ora laughed and blushed in utter embarrassment. What made her so cocky? "Oh, sorry. Yea, of course."

"But you can tell that guy that he is the luckiest man to have such a kind woman such as yourself."

Her mouth barely twitched into a smile. "Maybe I'll be able to tell him someday."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something touchy. He isn't at the base?"

She shook her head, setting her cup down on its saucer. "He joined the First Order."

"He abandoned you with child?"

"Oh! No, no! He joined long ago."

"So despite being part of the First Order you still manage to see him?"

Ora laughed, her eyes watering. "You, good sir, are quite nosy."

He smiled. "Yes, I know. Forgive me. You don't have to say anything."

"No, it's alright. I'm nosy myself. Why don't you tell me more about yourself?"

xxx

 _Rey? Can you hear me Rey?_

She paused a moment.

Still, she heard nothing. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hear her voice or presence. She wasn't sure what was happening.

 _Rey, please stay strong._

Ora decided to leave it all alone and walk into the meeting room. Every Resistance member including Kall was there, ready to listen to the plan and receive orders.

Poe began to speak. "The scan data from Snap's reconnaissance flight confirms Finn's report. They've somehow created a hyper-lightspeed weapon built within the planet itself."

"A laser canon?" someone asked.

"We aren't sure how to describe a weapon of this scale," Poe continued.

"It's like another Death Star," someone piped up.

"I wish that were the case, Major," Poe sighed. He tapped some buttons on the panel revealing a holo. "This is the Death Star...and _this_ is Starkiller Base."

There were whispers among the group. The First Order's base was at least ten times that of the original Death Star.

"Ma'am," a staff member whispered to Leia who stood right next to Ora. The woman handed Leia a message. The general was not pleased.

"The First Order is charging their weapon again now. Our system is the next target."

Too early.

Ora felt her gaze drift away from that place. She tried again to feel anyone other than those who were here. Rey... Ben...

But there was no one. Nothing but the anguish in her heart.

"Okay, okay," Han said, trying to calm the chaos down. "How do we blow it up? There's always a way to do that."

Leia nodded. "Han's right."

"In order for that amount of power to be contained," Statura explained, "that base has to have some kind of thermal oscillator."

"There is one!" Finn jumped out of where he was standing and pointed to the spot on the Starkiller base. "Precinct forty-seven. Here."

"If we can destroy that oscillator it might destabilize the core and cripple the weapon. Maybe even the whole planet."

Poe was ready. "We will go in there and we'll hit that oscillator with everything we've got. But they have defensive shields our ships can't penetrate."

"I can disable the shields," Finn said. "But I have to be there. On the planet."

"I'll get you there," Han assured him.

Poe interrupted, "So we disable the shields...we take out the oscillator and we blow up their big gun. Alright let's go!"

Everyone scattered to their positions. Ora followed the pilots outside. Everyone geared up for their big plan, putting on their suits and planting their droids into the backs of the X-wings.

"Where do you think you're going?" Han asked.

"Just saying goodbye," Ora managed innocently.

There was clanking from Finn's direction. "Hey, be careful with those. They're explosives."

"Now you tell me?" Finn said dumbfounded.

"Look, please let me go," Ora begged. "I'll stay on the Falcon. Keep watch. I won't move. Please?"

There was so little time now, that she hoped her speedy begging was successful. He looked at her carefully, shaking his head. "I absolutely don't want you going with us. But you're an adult. If you feel you want to come, then I won't stop you. Chewy on the other hand might."

Chewy groaned, warning her she was in no condition to be there. It was dangerous.

"I love you, Chewy, but I'm coming with you guys."

Chewy moaned in protest.

Han took his jacket off and handed it to her. "Here. Put this on. Cover yourself up, will ya?"

Ora took the jacket and obeyed his orders, zipping it up tightly. It was big and quite hard to be agile in, but it would do."

"You know," Leia spoke from behind them, "No matter how much we fought, I always hated watching you leave."

"That's why I did it. So you'd miss me." He walked up to her with a smirk on his face.

"I did miss you."

Ora tried not listening in, but she couldn't help it. Their interaction made her hopeful and happy. They were wonderful and wild together. They were confusing, but amazing.

Han brought her in, resting her head against his chest in a loving hug.

"If you see our son...bring him home," Leia whispered. But Ora didn't miss a beat of it.

She turned away, trying to ignore them now. She helped Finn with the explosives, making sure he didn't accidently blow himself up. Clumsy one he was, that was for sure.

Leia walked up behind her. "I understand that you are going with Han and Finn?"

She nodded, trying to smile at her with pride in making her own decisions. Not many thought her decisions were wise, which is probably why she felt the need to have so much confidence in herself and make it clear to others she was confident.

Leia hugged her right then tightly around the shoulders. "You be careful. Don't get yourself into too much trouble. I hear you caused a lot in the past."

Ora laughed. "I'll try."

"And Ora," she began, "I don't know whether you should tell Ben either, it's your decision of course, but if you do. Tell him that I love him and just want him to come home so we can all be together as one family."

"Of course." Ora hugged her again. She tried staying strong, pushing the tears back. The idea of one family sounded beautiful.

But at the moment it seemed so far away.


	8. Ben is Gone

**Star Wars: A Bond Awakens**

 **Chapter Seven: Ben is Gone**

She followed Han, Chewy, and Finn onto the base, waving goodbye to Leia.

Chewy sat in the co-pilot seat, Han where he was always seated, and Finn and Ora stood behind them. Both Chewy and Han flipped a few switches, turned on the engine and they were off into the galaxy.

"Finn, Chewy, do you mind if I talk to Ora for a few minutes?" Han asked.

Chewy groaned. _Anything you say can be said in front of me._

Han gave Chewy a look. Finn didn't need to be asked twice, and he left with Chewy shuffling behind.

Ora looked at Han questioningly, waiting for a lecture or something of the sort. But right now, Ora was okay with that.

"Look, as much as I may have seemed...upset, I'm not. Not upset about what you might think. I'm just worried the kid will..." he trailed off unsure how to finish without being too harsh.

"...will grow up without a father? Will grow up knowing his father is on the dark side? I've thought about that too. And I'm worried, but the more I thought about it, the more I'm okay with you being the fatherly figure in his life."

"It's a he huh? You know?"

Ora smiled. "Leia seems to think she does."

"Well, I know full well she usually is." He chuckled.

"Don't think I don't know that you were listening to us back there. Listen, as much as I and Leia and especially you want to bring Ben home..."

"It's not likely," Ora finished for him again. "I know."

Without permission, Finn ran back in, breathless. "We are getting close. How do you suppose we're getting in?"

Chewy came in and grabbed him by the jacket collar.

"It's alright, Chewy, we were finished anyway." Han waved his hand. "Their shields have a fractional refresh rate. It keeps anything traveling slower than lightspeed from getting through."

Finn looked deadpanned. "We're making our landing approach at lightspeed?"

Chewy growled.

"Alright," Han said, tugging at some switches, "Get ready...And...now!" Suddenly, everyone jerked back in their seats as they slipped through the shield.

Chewy growled again.

"I am pulling up!" Han yelled.

Ora was sure she was going to be sick. She grabbed the can next to her and vomited her lunch. Finn looked at her with disgust. He waved a hand back and forth in front of his nose. "Goodness, I hope we land soon."

The pregnant woman glared at him.

Chewy was still complaining to Han.

"IF I GET ANY HIGHER, THEY'LL SEE US!" Han roared over the loud sound of breaking trees.

With every bump and jerk, Ora was worried. She held on tightly to her belly, regretting and hating herself every second for this damned landing. As they slid through the snow, she noticed a very high drop off was soon approaching them. Thankfully, they stopped just short of going over it. Ora sighed with relief, sinking into her chair.

"Are you okay, Ora?"

"Yea." She closed her hands, laying a hand on her stomach. Everything was okay. "Everything is okay."

Han nodded.

Everyone hopped out of the Falcon and made their way to the entrance of the precinct. They hid themselves behind a wall. Finn was first with his blaster ready. Han had his trusty DL-44, Chewy with his crossbow, and Ora held tight to her own DH-17.

"The flooding tunnel is over that ridge. We'll get in that way," Finn explained.

Han knitted his brows together. "What was your job when you were based here?"

"Sanitation."

Han gritted his teeth, grabbing the back of the jacket Poe lovingly gave him just as Chewy had only an hour before. "Sanitation? Then how do you know how to disable the shields?"

"I don't. I'm just here to get Rey. Which is why I'm glad Ora came. She can use the Force to pinpoint her location."

"People are counting on us, the galaxy is counting on us!" Han said, exasperated.

"Solo, we'll figure it out. We'll use the Force!"

Ora looked at him just as angry as Han was. "That isn't how it works. You aren't even trained. You aren't a Jedi. You can't use the Force like that!"

"But you can," he said.

Chewy moaned.

Han turned to him, ready to hit something. "Oh really? You're cold?"

"Come on," Finn said.

They darted away from the generator and headed towards the entrance. Ora was cold, too. The jacket was more for looks than it was for warmth, that was for sure. She was just glad she had wrappings on her arms. Thanks to Leia, who seemed to think of everything for her, she was warmer now in her new clothes than she would have been if Leia didn't care so much.

The door in front of them opened.

"Hey!" Han yelled, shooting the trooper down.

He was panting. It was clear the energy was no longer there. "The longer we're here the less luck we're gonna have. The shields, Finn?"

Finn nodded, "Yea, I have an idea about that."

xxx

"You remember me?" Finn asked defiantly.

One day he is going to get the lot of them in so much trouble. Leia should have told him about staying out of it before they left, not her.

The silver armored trooper was now in their grasps. Han held his gun to her while Chewy held fast to her arm, aiming his crossbow at her head. No way she could get away.

"FN-2187," she replied as if bored out of her wits.

"Not anymore!" Finn said with so much sass, it clearly could not be contained, "My name's Finn and I'm in charge. I'm in charge now, Phasma. I'm in charge!"

"Bring it down," Han said, laying a hand on his shoulder, "Bring it down."

They brought her to the control room, demanding her to disable the shields. Finn grew impatient. "You want me to blast that bucket off your head? Lower the shields."

"You're making a big mistake," she growled. But she continued to disable them. "You can't be so stupid as to think this will be easy. My troops will storm this block and kill you all."

Ora glared at her. Even if she did look pretty badass in her shiny armor and side-cape.

Finn ran up to her and held the blaster at her throat. "I disagree. What do we do with her?" he asked Han.

"Is there a garbage chute? A trash compactor?"

Ora smiled, remember the stories he told her about the adventures of Han Solo, Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker.

Finn smirked. "Yea, there is."

xxx

Her hormones were starting up. One moment she was so full of hope and happiness, nothing could bring her down. Yet, the next she was depressed and ready to give up, wondering how anything could get better. That was also the point where she would get angry.

Right now she was angry.

Finn was on another one of his oblivious rants. Han tried to stop him, but he wouldn't shut up about Rey. Ora started to truly believe he was in love with her. And yet, the blind one couldn't notice that we were all point right at her. There she was climbing the shafts like a skilled ninja, trying to free herself of the Starkiller base and it's First Order minions.

Finn finally turned around seeing Rey.

They all headed her direction and right as they turned the corner, they ran into Rey, which startled the moonlights out of her.

"What happened to you? Did he hurt you?" Finn asked.

Rey glanced at Ora and then back at Finn, shaking her head. "What are you doing here?"

Ora walked away as Han did, scanning the window for trouble. She felt a disturbance. Something in the Force calling her away. She knew this time, though. She knew the Force was pulling her towards him.

But she ignored it.

"Escape now!" Han said. "Hug later."

Ora turned back and followed them through the halls. They made it back out. It was chaos outside. X-Wings were being destroyed and falling to the ground. The Resistance was struggling. There had to be something more they could do to help.

"They're in trouble," Han sighed. "We can't leave." Suddenly, he looked at Finn with a sly smile. "My friend's got a bag full of explosives. Let's use them. Rey, Finn, you keep Ora protected and disable the doors to get me and Chewy inside. Chewy and I will plant the explosives."

They all headed their separate ways, but Han stopped Ora. "Ora, please be careful."

She laughed at him. "I'm always careful, as you can see," she said gesturing towards her swollen stomach. "But you, Han, I could say the same, smuggler."

He smiled back at her and then left with Chewy.

Ora followed Rey to one of the switch boxes on the outside of the building. She examined it quickly, locating exactly what she needed. With a quick jerk, she yanked it out, successfully overriding the barriers. Ora looked at her now like she was the one with all the extraordinary talent.

"I'm surprised these men let you come here," Rey said after lifting the jacket up to see.

Ora laughed, tugging it back into place. "Well, these _men_ have realized I am a very valuable person that has a lot of use coming here and helping the Resistance."

Rey smiled, hugging her tightly. "It's been so long. It wasn't just me who heard you through the Force was it?"

She shook her head, both of them holding on to one another's arms.

"It was like you were in my head...like you were right there to stay strong," Rey said giddily.

"I wasn't sure you heard me!" Ora hugged her again. "I'm so glad you did."

"Guys," Finn said, looking up at the sky.

Ora saw the sun being sucked into the planet's weapon. Focusing now, she could see how much dimmer the planet got; the shadows invading everything as the light began to disappear. There wasn't much time at all.

"Let's go," Ora said.

All three of them climbed the latter to alert Han and Chewy. They finally reached the top. Rey unplugged another gadget to release that doow and it slid open with ease. They rushed to the balcony and looked down below. Kylo Ren stood, hood down, on the bridge. Han Solo was approaching him. Ora felt him...felt Ben's heart pick up pace. There was an increasing pain that rose through her, and she could feel that he felt it too.

Ora grabbed Rey's hand for comfort. Rey gave her a questioning look, but quickly turned back to Han.

"Take off that mask," Han said, "You don't need it."

Ora watched with anxiety so great, there were beads of sweat falling down her face.

Rey leaned over to her, "Calm down. Everything will be okay. Love conquers everything, right? It's not good for the baby if you stress."

She couldn't bring herself to show her face the positive, innocent Rey. She stayed focus on Ben...willing him to notice her...to feel that bond.

"What do you think you'll see if I do?" Kylo Ren asked.

"The face of my son."

Ben reached for his helmet, pressing a button to release it. Ora wasn't sure if she was ready. It hadn't been long, but it had been long enough and knowing how much torment he was in, she was sure seeing him in such torment would make her feel worse.

He lifted it above his head and holding it in his right hand. He was still the same oddly beautiful soul he was before, but there was much more corruption in his eyes... No, not corruption... _Brokenness._

"You're son," he began in a monotonous voice, "is gone. He was weak and foolish like his father. So I destroyed him."

Tears streamed down her face. To hear him say it, to hear him so sure of it... Ora couldn't bare it; she couldn't truly believe his words. Not wholly.

Han approached him further, trying to keep his voice even and loving. "That's what Snoke wants you to believe. But it's not true. My son is alive. Snoke is using you for your power. When he gets what he wants, he'll crush you. You know it's true.

No matter how far away she was from him right now, she could clearly see the water in his eyes threatening to trickle over. "It's too late," Ben said in a whisper.

Han was determined now, feeling protective over his son. "No, it's not. Leave here with me, with Ora. Come home. We miss you. Ora can't stop talking about you."

Ben's eyes faintly flashed up at the balcony where they stood, a small tear freeing itself down his cheek. When he spoke, his voice was breaking. "I'm being torn apart."

Yes, she could feel him truly breaking.

"I want to be free of this pain. And I know what I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?"

Ora was so intent on listening to his voice, that she ignored the Force. She felt him breaking, but that's all she dared herself to feel. She watched as Han said, "Yes. Anything."

Ben dropped his helmet to the ground. There was a happiness swelling in her. She felt hope once more. All she could think about was bringing him home, finally being with him once more.

Ben took out his unstable lightsaber and offered it to Han. Han placed a hand on it. Ora stepped closer and leaned gently on the railing. Suddenly, the light behind her vanished, leaving them all in the dark shadows of a sunless planet. She turned back to watch them only stare into each other's eyes. There seemed to be a slight struggle with the saber. That was when she allowed to feel him fully again. The pain was more than she had imagined.

It happened so quickly, she almost missed it with the blink of her eyes, but there was the lightsaber activating and jamming right through Han. Ora let go of the railing, backing away slightly not believing her naive eyes.

Finn gasped. Chewy howled to the moon like a wolf warning his pack.

"No!" Rey screamed with all her might.

Ora hadn't the strength to say anything. She fell to her knees, keeping her eyes on the only father she ever had, the only true constant she had ever known. She was sobbing now quite uncontrollably. She crawled closer to the edge of the balcony, clinging to the rails, begging for Han to come back as if he had a choice.

Rey was crying out just as hard, repeating no over and over. Finn tried to keep a hand on her in comfort, but he was just as in shock as the rest. Han couldn't die. He just couldn't.

Ora watched as Han put a gentle, loving hand on Kylo's cheek... And with that, Han fell into the dark abyss below. Ora folded over and clung to the jacket she wore. She felt so much pain, it was now physically agonizing. She tried calming herself, but nothing was working. The Force all around her was screaming out in agony.

 _Mom,_ she cried out to Leia over the Force, never having called anyone with such a loving title, _I can't do this anymore._ Now more than ever does she regret not letting Han know just how much she needed him in her life; how important he was to everyone, including being her father.

Chewy roared with such distress. He aimed his crossbow at Kylo and shot him dead in the side, making sure only to wound him. Ora found it hard to look at him, so she turned away just as he looked up at the balcony towards the three lone humans of the Resistance.

The troopers started blasting every which way. Chewy managed his own while Rey, Finn, and Ora backed up, blasting away at the troopers. There was a loud explosion and the inside was caving in.

Ora looked at the man named Kylo Ren who looked up at Rey in anger. He clutched to his wound, clenched his jaw and moved forward. Rey grabbed Ora and Finn and they headed out to escape the crumpling oscillator.

They ran as hard and fast as they could through the snowy forest. It was hard for Ora to keep up. She was out of practice when it came to running and quite frankly, all the energy had been sucked out of her. But she pushed herself.

"The Falcon's this way," Finn said reassurringly.

Ora stopped, seeing that Kylo Ren stood before them, his lightsaber activated. Finn and Rey were in front of her, panting almost as hard as she was. The two walked up to Kylo, and Ora walked up strongly to their side. She was no longer sad or hurting. She was angry. Angrier than she could ever imagine herself to be. She didn't care who this man was standing in front of her. She didn't care about what his name was or where he came from or that he was the father of her kid. It didn't matter. The only constant...the last constant that she failed to realize she had was stolen from her because of him.

Rey turned her head to her. "You must leave, Ora. You aren't safe here."

"We're not done yet," he said to Finn, completely ignoring Rey and Ora.

Rey grew angry. She could no longer contain her fury. "You're a monster," she spat at him.

"It's just us now. Han Solo can't save you." He started beating his wound, blood staining the snow.

Ora felt something odd in her side, but she ignored it. She wasn't keen on appearances anymore. She was angry and she wanted to get him back...make him suffer for what he did to Han.

Rey lifted her gun, but Kylo quickly Force pushed her against the tree. She hit it hard enough to make her go unconscious.

"Rey!" Finn and Ora yelled.

Finn ran to her as did Ora, seeing that she was okay. Finn held her up in his arms. "Rey...No, no, no. Rey!"

"Traitor!" Kylo yelled at Finn.

The ex-trooper picked up the saber and activated it, ready to defend everything for Rey. Ora worried. He wasn't a Jedi. He wasn't trained. He was going up against a half-trained Jedi at least, how could Finn hold his own? Ora gently checked Rey's pulse and when she felt it, she left her alone for now and stood, waiting for the next move.

"That lightsaber belongs to me," Kylo sneered.

"Come get it!" Finn said. With a battle cry, he ran towards Kylo and they fought one another in clashing light. Finn may have been the first to attack, but the rest of the battle, he was all defense trying to deflect his opponent's lashes. With one mighty slash, Kylo put Finn to the ground. He circled around, beating his wound again, even harder this time.

Ora cried out in pain, clutching her left side.

Finn glanced at her confused, but got back up to attack again. Kylo then pushed him against a tree, shoving the side of his saber into his shoulder. Finn cried out in pain. Kylo went in for the kill, but Finn dodged him just in time. Somehow, Finn managed to get a small slice in Ren's shoulder. But Ren wasn't backing down so easily. He was angrier now than he had been. But that's what seemed to be his weakness. He was so full of emotion, he couldn't take out an untrained simple ex-trooper. But this time, Kylo knocked the saber out of Finn's hands and it went flying a few yards away.

With a single punch, Kylo turned Finn around and sliced deep into his back. Finn fell still on the ground.

Ora staggered to her feet, racing to Finn. She tried soothing him like Leia sometimes soothed her. Anger seeped through her as she looked up at Kylo Ren. Tears were streaming down her face and she didn't quite make out how the brooding figure's face turned sad.

The young Jedi slowly came back up to her feet. She took off Han's jacket and placed it on the ground, pulling and activating her lightsaber.

He only stood there, looking at her fully now, knowing there was something off...something different.

When her visions cleared and she finally took in his face, she remembered back before the temple was destroyed. She remembered everything right then in small flashes. And then she remembered her dream...and remembered how much he idolized his deceased grandfather.

Ora stopped her fighting stance and stood vulnerable, letting her lightsaber turn off.

"Go on, then. If you want to kill us, do it. You have your chance."

He ignored what she said. His jaw was clenched as he moved around her just a few steps. "Who have you been with?" he asked in a fierce, seething tone.

She looked up at him. He was close now. "You know who."

She was ready. Ready to feel the pain that Padme felt when she watched Anakin Force-choke her into unconsciousness. Ready to feel the pain that Leia and Han felt when they heard of their son turning to the dark side. She was ready for it to all be over.

He stood there before her, unsure of what to say or do. He was still so tormented inside. With hesitation, he placed a hand behind her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. To feel his lips on hers again somehow soothed her, eased the anxiety and stress. Ben rested his hand on her abdomen and she felt whole again. But it was over quickly.

Luke's lightsaber whizzed past them, stopping in the hands of Rey who glared at Kylo. "Let her go, you wicked creature!"

Ben waved a hand over Ora while she was distracted by Rey, and she succumbed to the darkness.


	9. The Extravagance of It All

**Star Wars: A Bond Awakens**

 **Chapter Eight: The Extravagance of It All**

Rey watched him gently put Ora on the ground. She didn't question his odd, soft actions towards her. She was ready now to fight him.

Kylo Ren stood up from her body, reactivating his saber. The glowing red energy spewed up and out two stokes on the side. It looked menacing, but appeared also unstable.

The young scavenger stared at him with fierce eyes, breathing heavily. Her heart was racing so fast. She had never been in a saber battle, but she had to fight hard and well if she wanted to make it out alive.

She thrusted her blue saber first. He deflected it easily. She kept coming at him, but no mark on him was made. She swung again, but cut a tree down instead of him. He circled her, now going on the offense. She was able to counter each hit, but she was stumbling backwards, unable to find any balance.

He kept coming at her as if she were the one who took someone precious away from him. He swung hard at her, so she ran not confident enough to believe she could deflect such powerful swings. She tried circling back to where Finn and Ora lay to make sure they weren't freezing to death, to make sure they were okay. They seemed still warm to the touch.

Rey quickly covered Ora with Han's jacket to keep her warmer. She wished she would have done that earlier. Her lips were purple now.

Kylo Ren walked swiftly up to her, swinging his saber and causing her to stumble a few feet away from Ora. She got back up and fought harder. He was unstable now. She got a few slashes on him, his skin now burned from her saber. He turned back to Rey, more anger than ever.

"You brought her here," he growled. He was gaining more momentum again. "Don't think I don't know you two have been communicating through the Force. You should have let her be. Now look what you've done."

Rey struggled in her mind for a moment. She began doubting herself and her contribution to Han's death, Ora's unknown state, and Finn's unconsciousness. If she hadn't been here...if she would have let Ora stay with her that day in the forest on Takodana... If she hadn't left Jakku or had even gone back when she said she would, none of this would be happening.

He took his chance and swung again and again, making her stumble and fall. She tried as swift as she could to back up. Suddenly, he had a hold of her now. His saber was getting close to her face, only her own saber between them. What little strength she had, she tried to push him back, but she couldn't hold on for much long.

"You need a teacher," he growled. "I can show you the ways of the Force."

She stopped for a moment. "The Force?" Rey's memory of all Maz said had rushed through her. _I am no Jedi, but I know the Force. It moves through and surrounds every living thing._

 _Close your eyes._

 _Feel it._

And she did. She shut her eyes tight, focusing not on Ora and Finn who were unconscious, not on Han how she would never get to know him any better than the short time she spent with him, but on the Force. She felt it moving through her. She felt it still moving in Finn... He was still alive! She felt Ora...and she felt the tiny living beings inside her. A smile subtly came on her face and she found the Force strength to push Kylo Ren back into his place.

They fought even harder than before. She swung with such strength, it was off-putting to Kylo. He was still fought hard, but she was clearly gaining her balance quicker than he could find his again.

She then swung hard, slicing a piece of his cloak and leg. He fell to his knees, struggling to get back up. He swung at her awkwardly, but she just sliced him in the arm. Finally, she kicked him to the ground. He was now on his back, looking up at her eyes that had grown black with the darkness. She was hungry for revenge. She circled him like a lion would circle an injured, dying prey.

Kylo Ren refused to let the girl best him. He got up once more, fighting with everything he had, but he was still so distracted, so full of mixed emotions that he was useless now in this fight.

He took a hold of her saber as she did his, and she forced his saber to burn the snow on the ground. He struggled to fight back, but she had so much strength with the Force.

She gained her momentum, pushed him back and sliced across his face. He fell to the ground right next to Ora.

Rey had won!

She stared at him with the most vicious look, and suddenly, something whispered in her mind... _Remember the beautiful good in you, Rey._

Ora? Rey thought to herself. She stared at the unconscious body, but a quake in the ground made her stumble backwards. She looked at the forest floor. It was cracking and moving. The tremors created a wide gap between Rey and Finn, and Kylo and Ora.

Rey looked up with a worried face. "Ora!" she yelled. There wasn't anything she could do. The gap was too far to jump. Even if she were able to jump to Ora, she couldn't carry her over the chasm.

With as much as reluctance, she left Ora as Ora had left her before. She turned her back, tears streaming down her face in hopelessness.

xxxOraxxx

She slowly began to wake. There was small beeping beside her from a heart monitor. The room was dark and lifeless. A droid she knew was wired for medical purposes was sorting out some medicine.

"Where am I?" Ora asked the droid.

The droid turned to her and in a high pitched, soft and gentle voice she asnwered, "We are on Master Ren's new ship, my Princess."

"Princess?"

"You are Priness Leia Organa's adopted daughter, are you not, my lady?"

She didn't answer. Her head hurt. The muscle inside her skull pounded rapidly and all she wanted was for it to stop. As if the droid knew exactly what was going through her mind, she handed Ora a few tablets to swallow.

"Heard you were in a Force sleep. Those can be ruddy to wake from," she said lightly.

"Who else is on this ship?" she asked, putting the meds in her mouth and swallowing.

"Just Master Kylo Ren and the owner of the ship, my lady. He took us from the Starkiller, saying it would be just you, me, the owner, and him for now."

Ora scrunched her brows, confused. "Are we flying with the First Order?"

"Not as far as I can tell, my lady."

"Please, call me Ora."

The droid bowed and walked out of the room.

Ora took off the stickers on her chest there were hooked up to the monitor and the machine began to beep, feeling no heart rate.

Suddenly, Kylo and the nurse droid rushed into the room. His face was now scarred greatly. There was one giant slash going from the right of his forehead down his nose and to the other corner of his jawline. She shuttered with sadness to see him wounded.

"You should rest and keep that on for now," he said, keeping an even tone.

"I'm fine. Where are we going?"

He clenched his jaw as if he didn't want to say. "I'm taking you back to the Resistance base where you belong."

"Are you coming with me?"

"No... It's too late for that." There was water in his eyes and that pained expression he had when he spoke to his father one last time.

Han...

Ora had the urge to shutter away from him, to yell at him, to beat him, and even to kill him, but she forced those dark emotions back. She felt the letter, Luke's given letter to her and remembered again what he asked of her. She fell to her knees and started to sob, finding she didn't want the responsibility of anyone anymore.

Through her sobs, she heard Kylo say, "W3-6, leave us, please."

He knelt down to her as soon as the droid left and brought her in close.

"How could you," she sneered through her tears. "He was the only one who hadn't left me, but you took him away. How could you!"

He was confused as to why she was saying all these things and crying over them yet at the same time she was clinging to him, embracing him. She shouldn't be hugging and finding comfort in a monster.

xxx

This time she found herself waking up in a pleasantly warm bed that she didn't dare think of getting up from. It was soft and fit perfectly around her body. Maybe she only felt it that way because she had been lying on the cold snowy ground the evening before last.

When she sat up, she noticed a tray of food on the corner of the bed. Her instincts immediately went for the sweet fruit on the tray.

All the chaos and destruction had only happened two nights ago, but to her, it felt like centuries. As the images of that day started flooding her mind, she began to wonder about Ray and Finn. Were they alright? Was Finn still alive or did Kylo Ren cut deep enough to steal him away too?

Anger.

It came back all over again. She knew Luke wanted otherwise, but her emotions these days were out of control, and she began holding grudges...something she had never thought in her life she would do.

"I have your vitamins, Ora," the nurse droid said as she rolled in on her wheeled legs.

"For what?" Ora asked.

"For the babies, of course."

"Where did you get them?" she asked as she examined each pill.

"Master Ren asked that I go to the market while you were asleep to find anything medically you might need. This is important for the baby's growth."

"Where is he? I want to speak with him." She was impatient now; unexpectedly irritated and impatient.

The droid gave her a glass of water to drink. "Master Ren is not in the best of moods today, Ora. My systems believe it best that you stay in bed and rest for another day to avoid anymore stressful events. Maker knows you've had enough of them already; it's a wonder how you and the baby are still so healthy. Especially given you are so thin."

Ora frowned, looking at herself, now judging how she looked.

"Forgive me, my lady. I meant no offense, but you must eat a little more if you are to keep up good health."

"Well, thank you. I appreciate you looking after me. But I'm better now, and I can take it from here."

"I understand, Ora, but Master has requested I look after you no matter what you say. He says you would say something to defer my from my duty."

Ora laughed. There was still good in him. Leia was right. Things really weren't black and white. There was more to that fateful day when Han unwillingly left us. And he didn't hurt her. Not physically anyway and not emotionally on purpose. He was so keen on following Vader's steps, but he hadn't treated her like Anakin had treated Padme in her final moments. Quite the opposite, in fact.

There was hope that he will come home and hope that he will leave the dark behind for good.

"Will you let me know when he wants to see me? Let him know I want to see him, alright?"

The droid bowed again. "Yes, Ora." She then rolled away, leaving her to finish her food.

When Ora finished, she decided to wander the ship herself. There were several bedrooms, all nicely decorated as if it were a home. If there were this many bedrooms alone, she couldn't imagine how big this ship was. Curious enough, it was evident that it was no First Order ship. All the colors, symbols and patterns were wrong for it to be a ship of the Order. The ship appeared to be an average ship made for a rich neutral person who was neither part of the Order or the Resistance.

She walked out of the hallway and into a large sitting area with a very large window that completely took up the wall from floor to ceiling. The stars were brilliant and the small planets they passed just looked like spheres that you could hold in both hands. It was magnificent. She put her hands on the window and leaned her face so close, her nose felt the glass. Her steady breath fogged up the view until she couldn't see what was out there anymore. She turned away and walked around the sitting area and kitchen. This was a home in it of itself.

This wasn't Ben's ship, however. That much she knew. He wasn't for extravagant things. Especially not ships. He didn't for them...at least, he didn't when she truly knew him.

Looking through the cabinets, she saw a mess of food and ingredients.

"Excuse me." Someone coughed to get her attention.

She turned towards the voice. Her eyes lit up. "Maz! What in all the galaxy brings you here?"

"This is my ship, child. Of course I would be on it! Especially now that my castle has been destroyed to crumbling pieces, had to put myself somewhere, yes?" she smiled.

"Where is Ben?"

"Question of the day, that is, child. I wouldn't doubt he has himself locked up in his room."

"You...You are keeping Ben here?" she asked utterly at a loss for words.

The small creature laughed. "Of course not! He can come and go as he pleases. Yes, I know what you mean, Ora. He called to me, knowing I was near and here you two are. Occupying this hunk of a ship. It has been quite lonely, so I'm very glad you two decided to join me."

Ora stared at her still at a loss for words.

She walked slowly to the dining table and sat down, gesturing for her to do the same.

Obeying, Ora sat right across from her with a bowl of fruit in her hands, picking out what she liked and didn't like.

"When Kylo Ren figured out I had Luke's saber stashed away, he came to me demanding it. I, of course, refused. I had not met him before he called himself Kylo Ren, but when he came to me, all I could see was Ben. He was still so vulnerable...still immature and childish. He was lost, so I wasn't keen on treating him harshly simply because he claimed to be of the dark side. I spoke with him and we seemed to actually get along quite well, although he only visited me one other time-"

"What other time was that?"

Maz smiled. "Patience, child. I'm getting there. I believe he spoke to me freely as he did because I let in the most vile of creatures into the cantina. He felt like I would not judge him or hang anything over his head. He felt okay to be so wrong in my presence."

Ora frowned at this. She felt ashamed that Ben couldn't do the same for Ora. She should have made it clear he could come to her whenever he needed free of worry about judgment. She failed.

The little creature continued. "He came to me a few days after the troopers took out my castle. He asked what I had told you and Rey that made you leave the poor scavenger girl all alone. And I told him. My apologies, it really wasn't my place, but I had a bit of hope that maybe...maybe knowing would spark something bigger in him than the darkness. And I think it did." Maz smiled proud as if it was all her doing.

Ora placed a hand on hers, silently thanking her for what, she didn't know, but it was good.

"Am I being sent back to the Resistance?"

Maz smirked. "Of course not. At least, not in the foreseeable future. I have that all covered, darling Ora. You just spend time with Ben, and I will see to it that Leia and your friends know you are alright."

They stood up from the table and embraced one another. "Thank you for everything, Maz."

"Oh, there isn't anything to thank me for. Oh, by the way, his room is the second on the right down the hallway." Maz winked at her and walked into the kitchen to grab herself some food.

Ora didn't know whether to bother him or not. If he wasn't in the best of moods, maybe she would only make it worse. She wasn't sure. Slowly, she walked down the hallway and planted herself in front of his door.

She could either knock or turn away.

She could stand there and wait or she could just go to her own room and do something less stressful like reading.

Ora didn't have to make any decisions. He felt her presence and opened the door wide.

She looked up at him, his eyes soft, but the scar left him more intimidating now and somehow less child-like. She touched him gently where the scar began and made her way to where it ended. She wished she could take the pain away from him.


	10. Home Again

**Star Wars: A Bond Awakens**

 **Chapter Nine: Home Again**

She walked into his room. It was similar to her own, but the bed sheets were on the floor in a wrinkled mess, books were open with pages torn, and there was a dresser that had been tipped over with some of the drawers now cracked.

"What do you want?" he asked neither angrily or happily.

"In general or right now specifically? Either way, the answer is fairly similar."

"Go on then," he demanded. He was gentle, but there was a hint of brutality in his voice.

"I want you, silly," she said without looking at him. She began picking up the books, stacking them in her arms, searching a place to put them.

Ben walked over, took all the books in one arm, lifted the fallen dresser back into place with his free hand and set them on top. Ora looked at him, willing him to feel what love she still had left for him. Not that any of it had left, but there was anger and sadness in her that was wanting to suppress the goodness she felt for him.

He was no longer wearing the black Knights of Ren getup anymore. He wore a normal shirt with a normal jacket and normal pants and normal boots. He finally looked like Ben again. It was beyond words how happy it made her in that moment.

As she began to speak, he tied up the room. "Why haven't you spoken to me through the Force all these years, Ben?" He flinched at his birth name.

Tidying up the place was just as much for her sake as it was a distraction for his. He didn't have to look her in the eyes then. "You were a distraction to my becoming."

"Your undoing," she corrected.

His jaw clenched, unsure what to say. He was now on his knees, gathering up the rest of the clothing and books on the floor. She set herself down on the floor, putting a hand on his back.

"Ben, there is nothing I want more in the entire galaxy than to see you reunited with your mother and with me. I want you there when the baby is born and I want you to raise him for the good, not the bad. I know so much as happened and you've been manipulated so thoroughly, but none of that matters. We just want you home, Ben." She rested her forehead on his. "Just please come home."

He placed a hand on her cheek, stroking gently. "I am home. With you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck.

xxx

It has been over seven weeks, and she barely saw Ben at all. He kept himself locked up in his quarters with his thoughts. At first, she tried talking to him but he would just gently tell her he wished to be alone. Ora left Ben to his thoughts reluctantly now while she went into the kitchen to help Maz with her concoction. She appeared to be making dinner, but it looked more like muddy sludge than anything else. Of course, Ora wouldn't dare say so; not with all the wonderful things Maz has done to help Ben and her out.

"What do you call this?" Ora asked.

"My masterpiece!" she said, licking the spoon. She hummed a sound that showed just how much she loved the taste. "Oh, don't fret, child. I won't make you eat this. There is something more suitable in the cold box over there."

Ora searched, picking up a container of soup. She sat down to eat with Maz who had a bowl bigger than her own head of her 'masterpiece'.

They ate in silence other than a little bit of small talk. When she was done with her soup, she took out another container of it and walked to the second door on the right down the corridor of the ship. She knocked gently. "Ben?" No answer. "My love, I've brought you lunch."

Still no answer.

She opened the door slowly, looking around the room. It wasn't in shambles as she had expected. Instead, she saw a few dents and dips in the metal wall. She turned back to the bed seeing him fast asleep. She knelt beside him, placing the container on his nightstand. Ora looked at his large, uncovered sleeping frame. Glancing at his hands, she saw how bloody and cut up they were.

Immediately, she stood up and found a first aid kit, taking out bandages and vaseline. She knelt below him again, and when she took his hand, he awoke with a jerk.

"What are you doing?" he asked, sitting up.

"You've made a mess of yourself. I'm bandaging you up."

He wasn't a very subtle person. She noticed how he would always glance down at her abdomen in what she understood as loving curiosity. Maybe even anticipation. Maker knows she was anxious.

"You've made yourself scarce for many weeks now," she said, rubbing vaseline on the cuts. She began wrapping them tightly. Only a small bit of blood was seeping through. "Are you punishing yourself?"

He didn't answer her. He only looked at her with those pain-filled eyes.

"I hate when you look like that, Ben. Stop torturing yourself. You've done enough of that these past eleven years. Maker knows Snoke did so much worse to you than you could ever do to yourself. Now, come on. You should see something that's outside this room. Hopefully Maz won't notice the damage done to her ship." She gave him a coy smile, trying to lighten the mood. There was a tiny twitch of the corners of his mouth.

She felt giddy again.

Ora took his hand and they walked out of his room. "Maz said we will be landing on Coruscant today. We need to get a few things. Maybe we can go off on our own and explore, like we did at the temple."

She looked up at him, waiting for a reply.

He gave her a crooked smile, a smile that was all too familiar and made her think of Han. "I would love that."

xxx

They walked the streets of the big city, hand in hand. Ora was telling him about how crazy it was on the freighter she spent most of her life on when Han decided to haul rathtars on the ship.

"-I had heard so many stories about the Falcon and when I finally saw it... Ben, the Falcon was amazing! It was like just physically seeing it right before you brought all the stories Han told to life. But the Falcon became one of my stories that day just like Han told all those stories about it when he was with Leia and look fighting the Empire. We boarded it, finding Finn and Rey down below trying to poison us! Can you believe it? They were ready to poison us." Ora laughed and when she did, Ben laughed with her. "Well, anyway, the Death Gang tried to attack us, but Rey accidently opened the doors and let the rathtars loose! It was insane! I mean, I had quite the adventures with Han and Chewy, but when Rey arrived... She changed all our lives completely without her knowing. That was when Han was right back to fighting the rebels' war again. And that was when I found a sister. Or someone I would like to think of as such."

"She has an extraordinary amount of power," Ben remarked.

"If she managed to scar you like that, I don't doubt she does."

Ben sneered.

"Oh, calm down. I was only messing with you."

The tall buildings were beautiful in the night sky. There were hover cars driving miles upon miles high. The traffic was crazy, but amazing to look at all the models and designs. The lights in every room of the buildings gave a glowing look to the entire city. There was so much life here. She had been so cooped up in a single ship, she had missed the presence of others.

"Can you believe this is the place where your grandparents fell in love?"

Ben turned to look at her with curiosity. "How do you know?"

"A mash up of what Han, Luke, Leia and the Force as revealed to me. Padme was fourteen when she met Anakin. She was of age to marry and rule Naboo, yet he was no more than a child. Only nine!"

Ben laughed. "Maz says something like that about you and I's mental state."

Ora smiled. "Yes, she has said how child-like you are in your temper. But you are still amazing all the same." Ben shook his head, but Ora continued. "Apparently, he had a temper just like you do. He and Obi-Wan Kenobi were asked to protect her after someone tried killing her. He fell in love with her, but the Jedi Council was against Jedi's having relationships. If that were true...You wouldn't be here. That's why I'm grateful for Padme and Anakin. They gave you Leia and Han, and Han and Leia gave me you."

He wrapped an arm around her, planting a kiss atop her head.

"What else do you know?" he asked.

She thought hard. There wasn't much else. "I know your parents irritated one another to no end before they were married and had you. She was a fiery soul, I've been told. Always pushing Han away, yet trying to keep him close. Han was always so cocky about how Leia just couldn't stay away from him." They both laughed at the thought.

For the first time in quite some time, Ben felt relaxed. He wasn't worrying about finishing missions that Snoke gave or having to be ordered around and challenged by Hux. He could be free of them, of the rules and requirements and just be whoever and whatever he wanted to be with Ora. He frowned to himself, wondering how he could have ever given her up for something so full of misery and destruction.

 _Ora?_

"Rey," she whispered to herself.

 _I'm with THE Luke Skywalker. He's training me. Can you believe it? Where have you been? Are you okay? Did Kylo Ren hurt you?_

Rey went from utter excitement to concern. Ora was in shock. She spoke so easily and so quickly through the Force. How long had she been training?

Ora struggled to answer. She had been so out of practice with the Force. _I'm okay. I'm with Maz now. Ben and Maz are taking good care of me and I'm doing what I can for them._

Rey didn't reply back. She went completely silent.

"Is everything okay, Ora?" Ben asked.

She would have told him precisely what happened, but it would be obvious then she wished so bad to be with Rey and Finn and Leia again. So she said nothing of the sort. "Yea. Rey just spoke to me through the Force. She was wondering if I was okay."

He nodded once, changing the subject now. "Would you like to go eat some place?"

"That sounds nice. We are starving," she said with a big smile.

xxx

The food was delicious and something different from what Maz usually made on the ship. The place itself was elegant and peaceful. A tall droid clothed in a tux was playing the piano in the corner.

"Is there anything I can get for you Mr. and Mrs. ?" the droid asked.

Ora was about to correct the droid, but Ben spoke first. "Solo." He finished chewing his food and swallowed, so he wouldn't talk again with his mouth full. "And no, we are good, thanks."

Her cheeks turned slightly red as she looked at him when the droid walked away with a tray full of finished plates.

"You're red," he noted.

She scoffed. "No I'm not. I'm just flushed from the heat in here."

"My guess is it's only sixty five degrees in here."

"You're such a smart ass."

He smiled at her, taking another bite of food. She was truly heating up, however, to the point of sweating. She just hoped it didn't seep through her clothes.

Ben looked at her again and laughed. "Are you sure you're alright?"

She stared at him, trying not to smile. "Yes!" She said, chucking a small piece of food at him. It hit him right in the nose. He picked up some of his food and threw it right back.

People were staring at them, but they didn't care. They were both laughing like small children, tossing little bits of food at one another.

When they were finished, they tipped the waitress, paid the bill, and walked out. Ben lifted his arm, holding her hand tight and let her twirl. She looked up at him with a big smile, feeling like someone special beneath his loving stare.

"We should probably get back to Maz. I'm sure she is wondering where we're at," Ben said.

Ora sighed. "Yea. I think the nurse wanted to check up on the baby."

"And that is very important. Let's get going."

They walked back to the ship. Maz was in the pit, all ready to adjust the switches for take-off. When they entired the living area, she made her way to them, looking as chirp as ever.

"I see you've enjoyed your day being away from the ship?" she asked.

"My apologies for taking her away for so long," Ben said, his face blank.

"Oh, you two have nothing to apologize for. I myself have been cooped up in this ship for too long. I miss my castle in Takodana." She looked sideways to glance at Ben, but immediately changed the subject. "Ah, well, I fear we will have to leave immediately. There seems to be First Order members lurking the cities now. Don't want anyone to recognize Ben, now do we? I think not. Any requests to our next destination? Somewhere close, I think. I need to get off this ship again as soon as possible."

Maz didn't wait for them to give any suggestions. She walked back into the pit to set their new destination.

"Come on," Ben said, placing his hand on her back. "Let's go see W3-6. She is waiting for us in the med bay."

The past few weeks, Ben had simply asked the droid how Ora and the baby was doing. He never actually went with her when W3-6 checked on her. This was the first.

Ora hopped up on the metal bench, ankles crossed. The droid rolled in, touching a bunch of buttons on the ultrasound. "Would you like to know the gender, Princess?"

Still with the formalities, she sighed. "Nope. Don't want to know a single thing except the health and progress. I love surprises...good ones at least."

"Of course, my lady." The droid gestured her to lay on her back, lifting her tunic and exposing her belly. The droid rubbed gel around her stomach and then placed the overhead scanner over her stomach. The droid rolled over to the other side to see what was inside. When the droid assessed what she needed to, she rolled back over to her and Ben who was sitting on a seat in the corner, quietly watching.

"The baby isn't growing as it should, my lady. I'll have to adjust your vitamins and your diet, and it's best that you stay on bedrest for now. That means absolutely no getting up unless you need to use the bathroom or take a shower. Anything else will be brought to you."

Ben growled. "What do you mean he or-or she isn't growing? I thought I told you to monitor her properly; all the time if you had to."

Ora sat up, wiping away the gel. "It's okay, Ben. She's doing great. It happens. I'm surprised, though," she said then to the droid. "With how big I've gotten you think he would be a decent size."

"My apologies, my lady. You must rest now."

As much as she hated the idea of having to stay in bed, she knew it was best not to argue with the droid because she knew Ben would quickly turn to W3-6's side if she tried. Ora walked to her own room with Ben following silently behind her. When she sat on her bed, she dreaded it all the more that she was going to be stuck there most of the time for the next few months. Ben sat down next to her, waiting for her to say something. He knew she wanted to complain, and he was ready to listen.

She put her head on his shoulder. "Do I have to stay in bed all day?"

"All day for the next few months, yes." He smiled, lifting her face to his. He leaned in and kissed her.

She kissed back fiercly, wrapping her arms around his waist. His hand stroked her hair back and rested on her neck, his thumb on her throat. Ora flinched back, breaking the kiss. Ben looked angry.

"Why did you flinch?"

 _Let her go, Anakin!_

Obi-Wan's voice rang through her head, repeating his demand to Anakin over and over.

Ben stood up. "You still think me of the dark side. You still see Kylo Ren."

She shook her head. "No, that's not it, Ben."

"Then what is it?" he asked. It was interesting to see how someone could hold so much anger in his eyes, but the way he talked and carried him self appeared so even and calm. "You flinched. I'm not blind."

Ora couldn't dare speak. She didn't want to hurt him. It felt like Ben had to be sheltered and protected or he would snap, break himself and find his way back to Kylo Ren again. She couldn't let that happen. He had come so far since that dreadful night. She didn't want to be the reason he began slipping back.

"I-I don't know, it was subconscious-"

He cut her off. "That worse than consciously doing it."

She struggled to find something to say. In the few seconds she tried racking her brain for whatever she could, Ben walked out without another word.

Would she ever find herself successful?


	11. Push Back the Past

**Star Wars: A Bond Awakens**

 **Chapter Ten: Push Back the Past**

People mistake love for a feeling of not being able to live without someone, but that's not wholly what love is. Love is making sacrifices, no matter how great, to do what they need.

That was precisely what Ora was doing for Ben. No matter how much she wanted to visit Leia, check up on Finn, hug Chewy again, she wouldn't. Ben wasn't ready for any of that, and she wanted to make sure that she was here for him and was going at his pace, not separate from him.

Of course, she quickly failed just as she was breaking Ben from the grasps of the dark side. Anakin and Padme's past haunted Ora, affecting her in ways she hated most. She felt his pain these past few days. He tried to suppress it for the sake of her not stressing while on bedrest, but she could still feel it.

Despite their tense conversation a couple of weeks ago, he still brought her food and drink and medicine. He continued asking about how she felt and if she needed anything else. But that was all. Nothing more but never anything less.

The more days that go by that she had to stay and bed and Ben didn't speak more than a few sentences to her, the more restless and stressed she became.

One evening, she got up, too full of energy to keep herself in her room. She walked out and went to the large window in the living room, leaning against it again. She rested her forehead against it, wishing she could step outside the ship and feel any planet's air.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Ben asked behind her.

She didn't turn around. She kept her eyes closed, feeling the glass. "I'm restless and tired of laying in bed."

"You would think you wouldn't be tired if you were just laying in bed all day." She could hear the smile in his voice.

That's when she turned. She saw his smile and she couldn't help but give a smile back. She was surprised at his lighthearted remark. She was sure she would get a lecture from him about how the droid said to stay in bed and so on and so forth.

He walked towards her, brushing her hair back. "Come on, let's go to bed."

She groaned. "Do I have to? What if I said no?"

"Well," he began, picking her up in both arms.

She giggled at the sudden rush she felt as she was being lifted. "What in all the galaxy are you doing?" She laughed. "Put me down, Ben!"

He smirked. "This is your punishment for not listening." He carried her to her bedroom and laid her down gently.

"I'm sorry, Ben." She rested her head on his shoulder again.

"I understand." That was all he said about the subject. He slid off the bed and knelt beside her. Funnily enough, even on his knees he was nearly taller than she sitting on the bed. "May I?" he asked, gesturing towards her swollen stomach.

She nodded, smiling. He placed a hand awkwardly on her stomach and then placed an ear on the top, listening intently. "I hear him. He's kicking."

Ora laughed. "Yes, he is. I definitely feel that."

"Is he hurting you?"

She shook her head.

"I asked W3-6 and she said that we could expect him any week now. Are you scared?"

"No. Well, maybe a little. I can be a big baby myself when it comes to physical pain," she said chuckling.

"That isn't funny," he said, placing his head back on her stomach. She stroked his thick head of hair.

"Can I ask you something?"

He looked up at her. "Of course. You can ask me anything."

"Do you remember Rey? When she was little?"

"Not really. Luke didn't want anyone to know of his daughter. I think he was always afraid something would happen to her just because she had a relation with him. But I do remember seeing her that day I let the Knights of Ren destroy everything you had. She was only seven...maybe even younger." His voice began to crack. "One of the Knights went after her, lifting his weapon to kill her, but I stopped him. I approached her, recognizing how much Luke she had in her. I took her to Luke and that was the last I saw of her. It was what I did with her that Snoke questioned and tortured me with the Force for not having killed her. Sometimes I remember her terrified face and imagine all the other kids that were there being attacked by the Knights, knowing that it was me who let them in. It is my fault those children are dead."

Ben looked into Ora's eyes, tears falling down his face. "I had a dream last night that our son was studying at the academy in the temple. I let those dark siders in, Ora. They killed our son right in front of me and I let them."

"My love," Ora said, embracing him. "It was just a dream."

"I know," he finally said, calmly. "But it bothered me just the same."

"Well, I say we ditch this damned ship and go on a walk. This place is becoming depressing."

He laughed. "Nice try, but you need to rest."

She rolled her eyes. So close.

xxx

They were playing holochess in bed. Both concentrated intently on what moves to make. They had already played a dozen games for lack of anything else to do. They weren't sure how many wins or losses there were; that wasn't what they were concerned about.

Ora kept on thinking so loudly in her mind with the silence between them. She thought about how badly she wanted him to reunite with his mother, and how amazing it would be to go back to her family with the one she was making now.

He looked up at her. He heard her thoughts.

She blushed. "Sorry."

"I can't go back," Ben said.

"Ben. Leia misses you. Chewy misses you. They _love_ you, Ben. And love forgives everything no matter how bad it is. You are already forgiven. You can go back to your mother."

He looked back down, moving a piece. His jaw was clenching again. He always did that.

"Please, Ben, just-" She stopped, feeling something clench in her stomach. Suddenly, it was gone.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded. And they continued playing chess with Ben glancing up at her every so often.

He saw her brows knit together again in pain. It took a few more seconds, but she eased back to normal again. Then again, she made that pained face. He closed the holochess and it shut off. "You are obviously in pain, Ora, what's going on?"

She was breathing harder now, putting an arm around her stomach as if that would somehow stop the pain that began to increase in intensity. "I-I think I'm having contractions," she said through hard, heavy breaths.

"Contractions?" he asked, moving closer to her. "What does that even mean?"

"It means the baby is ready to come out," she growled.

His eyes went wide. Quickly, he lifted her up and carried her into the medical bay. He yelled for W3-6 and she immediately rolled in at his call. The droid set her up on the metal bench. But Ben wasn't happy. "Don't you have anything more comfortable for her?

"This is where all the equipment is, Master. My sincerest apologies," the droid said as she started injecting her with drugs.

Maz came in, but Ben completely ignored her.

"What are you putting in her? W3-6!" he started to shout. "What are-"

"Ben," Maz said, "You should go outside."

He gritted his teeth, but walked out. It wasn't as if he knew what to do anyway. But he wanted to be there for Ora.

Han would tell him of how his mother screamed in pain when he was being born. She would curse at him like he was her worst enemy, like everything was his fault and it was him who gave her all that pain. What was strange to Ben, however, was that he didn't hear anything come from Ora. Was she dead? Is she okay? Would she leave him like Padme left Anakin?

Ben paced back and forth in front of the med bay now. He rubbed his hands together, he rubbed his eyes, he picked up his pace a little. He couldn't be still. There more worried he became, the less he could focus on what was happening to Ora through the Force. When it got quiet, he stopped to listen. A baby's strong cry started to sound through the door. Ben sighed with relief. He tried opening the door, but it wouldn't budge. He banged on it hard.

"We aren't done yet!" Maz yelled from the other side. "Calm down, child, before I ask this droid to drug you up, too!"

He growled.

There was another silence. He waited, but nothing sounded.

The med door slid open. Maz appeared first. She looked happy but sad at the same time.

"What's wrong?" he asked. That's all he wanted to know first.

"There is a girl," Maz began, "She is very small though, and we have to keep her on a machine more than likely for quite some time."

W3-6 rolled over, handing him the smallest being he had ever seen. She was so tiny that she fit in both his hands with room left over. There were tears in his eyes from joy of such a beautiful girl, but also pain from seeing how small and fragile she was. She looked sickly. She needed help, but he didn't know how to help her.

"Master," the droid said. Ben didn't look up from staring at his tiny daughter. "She has a twin. He's strong though."

"Yes," Maz reassured him, "He is quite the fighter."

"Tell me the weight of them, W3-6," Ora asked. She looked normal, as if she had just gotten a small cut and didn't really need to be there in the first place.

"He is seven pounds and she is three pounds two ounces, my lady."

Ora frowned. She wasn't big enough to be healthy. She looked down at her son whom she held in her arms. He was beautiful and moving quite nicely. He clung to her shirt, moving his mouth, searching.

"My lady," W3-6 continued. "It's best you feed her right away. It will help give her strength."

Ben was reluctant to let her go. As much as he felt he could break her at any moment, he wanted to also keep her close to make sure she was okay...and still breathing. Ben walked over to Ora, handing her the baby girl. W3-6 took the boy from Ora, handing him over to Ben when his hands were free. When he took him into his arms, the baby's mouth turned into a smile. He reached up, gripping some of Ben's loose hair.

"Ah-Ow!" Ben said, taking the boy's hand off his hair. "Okay, let go."

Ora laughed, finishing her feeding.

Ben smiled at her, watching her intently with the boy still held tight in his arms. He watched her as she looked at their daughter. She looked concerned, worried that something would happen to her. Ben struggled to figure out what to do.

xxx

Ora was alseep, but Ben found himself awake late at night.

They put the two babies in the same crib in hopes being close together would give one another strength to stay and become healthy. Ben finally was anxious enough to walk out of his room and walk quickly to the medical bay. W3-6 was there, watching over the monitors of the twins.

"Good morning, Master Ren."

Ben glared at her. "It's Ben."

"Forgive me, Master Ben. She is quite unstable. Her heartrate is slowing down every hour. It's hard to say at this point that she will survive."

He sneered at her. "Then try harder."

"I only have so much equipment here, maybe-"

Before the droid finished, Ben stomped off making his way to the pit. Maz was there, very alert and awake. She turned to him when Ben walked in.

"Couldn't sleep child?"

"I request all of us to be dropped off on D'Qar."

Maz smiled. "I already set our destination there hours ago."

xxxLeiaxxx

General Leia Organa was no Jedi, but she felt things in the Force. She felt the darkness in her son when he drifted to the dark side, she felt the emptiness in the Force when Han suffered a tragic death, and she felt now her son coming to her.

At first, Leia thought it was just simply an idea that crossed her mind. What if Ben had come home to her? Then, that feeling in the Force became stronger. He was coming to her. All these years she had imagined him coming back home, but never did she prepare herself for when it actually happened. What was she to say to him? What should she do? Can she look at him without seeing Han and remembering how Han wasn't ever coming back? Even worse, could she not process how he wasn't coming back because of Ben?

These thoughts worried her. She couldn't mess this up. Not when she and Han and everyone else tried so hard to bring him back. She couldn't drive him out again like she and Han did when he was little. No, she would embrace him with love and leave the Han and apology talk for later.

And Ora.

She hadn't seen her in months. Ora had no idea what was going on or where Rey went or whether Finn was alright. She had no idea Luke had been found and Rey was with him in training. She was out of the loop and Leia had so much to tell her.

But the same could be said of herself, Leia was sure. She had no idea how she was doing with the pregnancy, it was coming close to thirty-six weeks and Maker knows maybe she was getting close to labor.

"General," a messenger began, "Maz Kanata's ship has been sighted. They appear to be landing right outside the base."

Leia nodded, getting up from her chair in a hurry. She rushed out onto the landing with a garage full of X-Wings behind her. Looking up, she saw a giant ship make its descent down onto the open landing below. Leia slowly backed up, her eyes watered from the wind pressured by the ship.

It landed with a rough thud. The ramp opened up immediately with a figure running out.

Ben.

Love swelled in the old princess' heart.

He was holding something in one hand ever so gentle-like and a small machine in the other. It seemed to have a chord that connected to the other thing he was holding.

When he reached her, he stopped. There were tears staining his cheeks.

"Mom," he said, his voice breaking to heart shattering pieces. "You have to help her. I don't know what to do and she's dying. Please, help her."

A few others were standing by, looking at the new person none of them recognized.

Except for Finn.

He walked up to them. "What are you doing here? You should not be here and you should most certainly not be holding a baby!"

At first, Leia thought he was speaking of Ora, but when she looked at his large arms, she saw the small child who fit in his one hand so easily. Concern covered her face now. She turned around, placing a hand on his back to lead him to their medical station, ignoring Finn's objections to Ben being there.

The droids there took the preemie into the infant's med room where all the newborns born on that base were looked after to make sure they were in good health.

"Can you save her?" Ben asked Leia.

She looked up at her son. He was so tall and so grown, but all she saw was a small, scared child who was so helpless.

"I promise," she said, grabbing his hand, "We will save your daughter. I promise."

xxx

Ora felt the thud.

It woke her up, wondering what was going on.

She quickly ran to the large window, seeing trees and a strip of landing below. The planet was all too familiar: _D'Qar._

With so much energy and excitement, she raced out of the ship, looking all around her in awe. She was home again. Finally home.

"Ora?"

She turned, seeing Finn rather distressed.

"Finn!" she yelled, running up to embrace him. "You're alright! I can't believe it! I'm so sorry I couldn't prevent that! But you're alright! That's what matters." She looked at him with a big smile, so happy that he was alive and awake again.

Finn returned the smile, but frowned again. "What is he doing here? He can't be here. He _killed_ Han."

Maz walked up behind them. "We can discuss that ordeal later. For now, let's just keep to the story of him returning from hiding away from the First Order after the academy was destroyed. We don't want to panic the rest of the Resistance."

"Hmm," Finn said rather sarcastically and dramatically, "I wonder why they would panic."

W3-6 rolled up with the boy in her arms, handing him over to his mother. Ora lit up so bright seeing him. She turned to Finn, offering him over. She was so proud at her and Ben's beautiful creation.

Finn softened greatly. He took the child and looked at him intently. "He is pretty adorable."

"Where is the general?" Maz asked. "I must speak with her."

"She and... _you know who_ went to the medical bay down in section one," Finn said, still cradling the child. He looked at the infant, shaking his head. "No idea how something as sweet as you can come from a monster like him."

"Finn," Ora warned. "That's his father you're speaking of. I know what happened. We must learn to forgive and push forward if we are to be set apart from people like the First Order."

Finn sighed. "Alright." He turned to the little boy who held his large finger in his tiny hand. "I'll forgive your father, but only for you, little guy."


	12. A Voice Taunting

**Star Wars: A Bond Awakens**

 **Chapter Eleven: A Voice Taunting**

The droids had the small girl stabilized. Everyone visited the child when they found out she was Leia's granddaughter. They all prayed to the Force she would find her strength and grow strong again.

Ora found it amazing and amusing all at once that despite how many babies were being born on that base, everyone wanted to hold her little boy. Right now, she had let Poe hold him. It was interesting to see how brightly a person's eyes light up because of a child. The only other time she saw Poe's eyes that bright was when he greeted Finn for the second time after believing he was dead.

"He's so cute! Have you guys thought of a name? I think he deserves a strong name," Poe said.

She shook her head. "I do know I want his middle name to be Han, though. He has Han's and Ben's beautiful eyes."

"I'm sorry about Han," Poe said seriously. "I know how much of a father he was to you all those years."

"He died trying to save his family, the Resistance. I know he wouldn't have asked for any greater sacrifice."

Ben walked in. He looked at Poe, then avoided the pilot's eyes with everything he had. Ben cleared his throat. "Um, sorry, can I have him?"

"Well, you don't have to ask, good sir. You are the father." Poe smiled up at him, handing the boy over.

"Where are you taking him?" Ora asked.

"I can feel Illia wanting her brother next to her," he said bluntly.

She smiled widely. "Is that her name? It's beautiful. I love it. Illia Rey. Brilliant!"

Ben carried him to the infant medical section. He walked cautiously and slowly to Illia's crib, laying her brother down next to her gently on his stomach. He was now fast asleep, having wrapped an arm around his sister. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. The droid doctors and visitors walked over, cooing over the scene. They had never seen anything like it.

Even Finn and Poe rushed down to the infant section to see what the fuss was about. The two pushed their way through the crowd right next to Ora.

Ora smiled at the two men. "You see? Love is the best medicine."

Finn gave a quick glance at Ben then turned back to the babies in the crib. Poe didn't know. Finn knew Kylo tortured Poe and Poe did not know it was him. He didn't like lying to Poe. He had to tell him.

"Have you thought of names, Mr. and Mrs. Solo?" the droid asked.

Ora smiled. "Her name is Illia Rey."

Finn lit up at that.

Ben thought for a moment, looking at his son who loomed over his sister with protection. "His name is Tarrin Han."

Everyone clapped. Ora wasn't looking around at all the wonderful people who were so excited over her children, but she was looking up at the father who looked around at everyone as if there was hope in each and every individual. Ora wrapped an arm around him, giving him a smile.

She couldn't have asked for anything more.

That's when the darkness got the best of her... She thought about Han and how greater it would have been if he were still here to see the love in the twins. She looked down at her feet, trying to push the negative thoughts out of her head. If she wasn't careful, the darkness could not only consume Ben, but her as well.

"Are you alright?" Ben asked.

She started to look up at him, but stopped her vision on Finn who stared at her.

"Yea. Yea, I'm alright," she managed to say. Think positively, that was her only feat now. And raising twins...that was going to be a huge job in it of itself.

xxxFinnxxx

"Poe!" Finn yelled at him as he made his way to find Poe working on his X-Wing. "Poe! I need to talk to you."

Poe stopped and dropped his tools, running to Finn. "You look concerned. What is it?"

"Look, you can't tell anyone else. I just felt like I should let you know that Ben isn't who you think he is."

Poe furrowed his brows. "He isn't Leia's son?"

Finn shook his head. "No, no. I mean, he is, but-what I mean is that Ben is actually Kylo Ren."

The pilot wasn't convinced. "The guy who killed Han Solo-Ben's father? The one who tortured me and Rey with the Force? The one who murdered all those Jedi including almost killing Ora whom Ben loves and has children with? Are you sure? That Ben Solo is Kylo Ren? That Kylo Ren?"

Finn rolled his eyes impatiently. "Yes!"

"Ah, I see. Well, I'm very happy for Leia especially that her son has come home."

Finn stopped for a moment. "What? You're okay? This information that I have risked my behind to give you...you're okay with it?"

"Well, I trust the general's judgment. And Ora's for that matter."

"That begs the question. You think he is using the Force on her to convince her she loves him or something?"

"Nah," Poe said nonchalantly. "He may have tortured me, but I know he is too...timid...no, wrong word. I don't think he has the heart to do something like that. I don't even know if a half-trained Jedi could even manipulate someone who is the product of the Force in such a way."

"The heart?" Finn said stupidly. "A heart?"

Poe placed his hands on Finn's shoulders. "I understand you are very protective of Rey and know how torn up she was when Han died and how she had to fight Kylo Ren on her own, all because of Kylo Ren. She has been traumatized by the guy. But have you seen the way he looks at Ora...moreso at those twins? No way he is turning dark ever again. Not unless something happens to his family. I think we should give him a chance. He seems like a cool guy...when you get passed how socially awkward he is in a conversation."

Finn was deadpanned. But he nodded. "Right. Yea, yea. You're right."

"Course I'm right. Want to get a drink?" Poe asked.

"Hell yea!" Finn said, grinning.

xxxOraxxx

She was in the infant section quite often. She had to feed both of them every two or three hours. And Illia sometimes required more. She was growing stronger and stronger every day. Ben kept putting Tarrin with her whenever they fell asleep. The droids took note that her heartbeat was evidently stronger when he was there next to her to where she could feel him.

Surprisingly, Ben held them quite often. More than she did so it seemed. He was always around the twins. She believed it calmed him whenever he got angry. To avoid the darkness, he held them close seeing them as a brilliant light.

Ora watched him hold Illia this time outside of the infant section. She liked watching him without his notice. He was more focused on them and less focused on impressing, keeping a strong stature when it was just him and the infants.

Leia walked up beside her. "You have no idea how grateful I am that you brought him home."

Ora laughed. "I didn't. It was those two."

Leia looked through the window admirably.

Ben was bouncing the small child, trying to ease her crying. When she didn't stop, he tried singing softly to her. She began to fall asleep.

"You want to know what I think, Leia?" Ora asked, keeping her eyes on Ben.

"Anything you have to say is worth listening to, I know."

"I think," Ora began, trying to find the correct words. "I think that no one in the whole galaxy is perfect. Every single person has their flaw. That's why I believe Ben had to become Kylo Ren and fall to the dark side. If he didn't, he would have been perfect, but nobody can be such."

Leia smiled, rubbing her back lovingly.

"Sometimes I think he has a closer bond with them than I do. Did you know how we decided to keep the two sleeping together? He said that he felt in the Force Illia wanting her brother by her side. I didn't know that."

"You have a different kind of bond with them; a more natural, human bond that Ben will never have with them. Every one is different. We just have to accept who we are and what we have and do the best we can with both."

"Hey, Ora," Finn said.

She turned to look at him. He tossed her the Marksman combat remote with some tinted goggles. "Rey thought you might want that when you came back. I thought I could practice with you...and Ben."

"Really?" Ora said with a huge grin on her face.

Finn smiled. "Yea, really."

"Force-sensitive, I see."

Finn smirked with pride. "You bet I am!" He suddenly felt the need to look past Ora and into the infant unit. He found it so strange that the dark sider who took the life of his own father, slashed his back in ruin, and killed nearly all in the Jedi academy was standing now amongst a bunch of babies and singing one of them to sleep. It was odd.

"Yea, that's just weird." Finn shook his head dramatically. "Yea. Really weird."

Ora suppressed her laugh.

"I don't know if I can handle that much weird," he said, still shaking his head. "Yea, I'm just going to be outside..."

"Where's Maz at?" Ora asked after Finn left.

"With Chewy."

"Oh, Maker."

"Yes. Maz is quite the character." Leia turned her attention completely on Ora. "I sent a message to Luke about Ben being back and also mentioning the twins. He and Rey will be arriving tomorrow just before dinner. He would like to train Rey here and he wants to finish yours and Ben's training as well."

Ora lit up like a firecracker.

There wasn't much else that could be said or done in that moment to have made her any happier.

xxx

The Falcon landed smoothly on the ground, not like anything Maz had managed when they arrived.

Right as the ramp hit the ground, Rey ran out embracing Finn and Ora.

"I thought I wouldn't see you again for ages!" Finn said.

"I thought you would never wake!" Rey replied. "And Ora! I am so sorry for abandoning you! I should have never-"

"Hey, we can call it even, yes?" Ora smiled. Luke walked off the Falcon. He wore a long tan robe that dragged across the ground. He had his hood up, but when he spotted Ora, he immediately took it off. "Luke!" She ran to him and nearly knocked him over with her strong embrace. "I never imagined I would see you again."

Everyone was staring now having heard her shout the lost Jedi's name. The Resistance surrounded them with some distance, but stared intently just the same.

All of a sudden, Han flooded her mind. She let go of Luke and looked at him. The last time she'd seen him, Han was just stopping by to pick her up and keep her safe. That's how she first met the infamous smuggler and that's how she got to see what a father really is. She just wished she would have seen it in him wholly sooner. Tears streamed down her face. "The last time I saw you, you sent me off with this strange man whom I didn't know. But you gave me a father Luke. I couldn't have asked for anything greater from you." She hugged him again.

Rey frowned at her words, feeling the pain rush back again from that day on the Starkiller base.

Chewy groaned at Ora as he came up behind Luke.

"Of course I hadn't forgotten about you, Chewy," Ora said, greeting him with a hug. "How could I forget my best furry friend? Now, come on," Ora said, wiping the tears away. "I have two little Jedis I'd like you all to meet."

They took a few steps forward, but Luke and Rey and Chewy stopped when Ben walked out of the shadows. He was solemn, his expression only slightly appearing sad and sorrowful.

Rey's breathing began to pick up pace. Tears were streaming down her cheeks now as she scowled at the man before her. "You! You monster!"

Everyone appeared to be listening closer to Rey's strange reaction. To all but a few, she seemed to have gone insane as she beat at Ben's chest like a child. He didn't move. No matter how much harder she began to beat him, he stood there and took it with no reaction but a clenched jaw. "You are sick! And twisted! You heartless bastard! I will never-"

"Rey," Luke warned.

The scavenger gave one last cry out, giving him one final punch in the side. He staggered slightly, but regained his tall stature.

She backed up, her eyes still watering.

Ora felt for both Ben's and Rey's pain. They both could not hide it from the Force. She walked up to Rey, taking her hand.

"Come on, now. Let's go," she said to her. Rey obeyed and left Luke to speak to Ben privately.

They walked the first half of the way silently, the scavenger trying to calm down again. When they got closer, Rey decided to speak.

"I'm sorry. How..." she began, struggling to find words. "How is he here? The one time I face him, he grabbed hold of you, made you go unconscious-and I know how Force Sleep sucks-he injured Finn so greatly, and worse, he killed Han. How is he here? Why are you letting him in? Why is the general not doing anything about it?"

Ora figured in her head where to begin. "First, you should know that he is just Ben. Ben Solo, the general's son. No one else can know for now. It would lead everyone into a pan-"

"No one knows?" Rey hissed with wide eyes."

"No. And we must keep it that way for a little while. Listen, Rey. Finn isn't much different from Ben. They were both victims of the Order and they slowly and finally got their way out."

"No," Rey said firmly. "Finn is not like Kylo Ren. Finn was taken as a baby. He-he _had_ to grow up with the Order. He knew no different. Kylo knew different and murdered his own father. He knew what he was doing. He was with the light before, he knows what's right and wrong. They are not the same at all!"

 _He killed Han...killed your father._ The voice was wraspy and overpowering in her head. She didn't know where it came from or who it was, only that he his voice seeped with desire to hurt and tear apart.

Ora looked away from Rey, unable to answer her. She began to doubt now. She began to doubt why she had so easily forgiven him... Then again, did she actually forgive him or just repress the memory of what he did?

 _He's still Kylo Ren. You will see...in time._

She shook her head, trying hard to get the voice out.

"Are you okay, Ora? I'm sorry for not being able to forgive so easily...I just..."

"No," Ora said, shaking her head. "It's fine. Come on, we're here."

They walked into the infant unit and Rey was happy again immediately. She stared at the babies who were sleeping, squirming, laughing, and hiccuping. Rey had a huge smile, beautiful teeth showing and all. She was amazed at every tiny creature in every tiny crib. She walked over to where the twins were laying. They were awake, holding each others hand, rolling slightly about.

Rey's smile softened. "It's obvious he is his child. He had the thick black hair on him."

Ora nodded. "Yea, he's been growing that out for the past couple weeks."

Rey moved to pick up the small girl. "She is so tiny," she noted.

"She was born very small, yes. She's had some trouble, but she's growing a lot better now."

The scavenger tried to hold the child but couldn't quite get the position right. Ora walked over and laid her down in Rey's arms with Illia's head against her breast. "She liked to be held this way best when I hold her."

"It's different for others?"

Ora nodded. "She likes her forehead against Ben's neck. She also seems to enjoy when she is being held in only his hands and swinging her back and forth."

Rey turned away at his name.

"You know, I was always effected by his name. It was like whenever someone mentioned him, I would turn away and either walk away or completely block out what they were saying."

Rey turned to look at her blankly. She looked down at the little girl, still looking so small even when held by the petite scavenger girl. "What are their names?"

"His name is Tarrin Han and hers is Illia Rey."

She immediately grinned showing her sparkly whites. "Really? After me?" She had so much excitement twinkling in her eyes.

"Yes, really."

Rey looked down again. "You were named after Auntie Rey and believe me when I saw I will show you the Force in a brilliant light."

xxx

Ora was now alone in the infant unit. Illia was alseep, but Tarrin woke up feeling his mother's presence. He reached up for her, and she picked him up. She rocked him back and forth, bounced him a little. When she looked into his eyes all she saw was Ben.

She started to worry.

A droid interrupted her thoughts. "Mrs. Solo, you may take them out of the unit. She has grown strong enough to be on her own. We just need to check on her once every week for the next few months."

Ora was ecstatic over the news. Leia walked in just in time.

"Oh that's great news! In the nick of time, too. Ora, I wanted to show you and Ben your new quarters. It has a room inside just for the twins."

Leia picked up Illia careful not to disturb her sleep. Ora wondered where Ben had gone off to, but decided to ask later. Leia led her to their new quarters where it was almost out of the way of everyone else's room and in a completely different section of the base. Leia opened the door and gestured her in first, still holding tight to Illia.

Ora walked in. It was much bigger, the bed was able to fit three grown people, the ceiling was higher, the lighting was much brighter. It was grand.

The young Jedi opened another door that led to a smaller room with two cribs and a couple of dressers. It was great, and Ora was thankful for it, but she started to feel quite embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"Where shall I sleep?" Ora asked.

"In here of course," Leia said chuckling.

"And Ben?"

She softened as she realized what the young mother was talking about.

Ora explained. "Ben and I have always been separated. No matter how many times we...um...made love," she said, her cheeks burning bright red, "we were always separated. Luke made sure of that. I've never...shared-" She stumbled on her words and decided to just leave it at that, not wanting to stumble further.

Leia laughed. "It's quite alright, Ora. You will each have your separate rooms still in the main hall with the rest of the single Resistance members. You two should talk about it first. Let me know if you need anything else. I think I need to talk to Luke further about rebuilding an academy. There seems to appear there are some Jedis being born in another system of the galaxy."

"Wow. That's amazing!"

Leia nodded. "I'll leave you to it."

The general laid Illia in one of the cribs and left. Ora found Tarrin also sleeping, so she put him in the crib, finding a monitor on each of the cribs they slept in. She walked over to the dresser with two similar devices on top. Taking them, she turned one of them on. A screen appeared with one section showing a sleeping Illia and the other a dozing Tarrin.

Convenient.

Ora hesitated at first, but eventually walked out, closing the door to let the babies sleep. She kept both devices in hand, making her way down the hallway. First things first, she was going to find Rey and see if she knew when they could all start their training again. Ora zigzagged her way through the corridors, suddenly running into Ben when she turned a corner.

He grabbed her by the shoulders to keep her balanced. "Sorry. You okay?"

She nodded.

"Where are the twins?"

"They are sleeping in their room-"

"You left them alone? Why would you do that? Illia needs to be monitored," he said ranting, appearing irritated at her.

 _There will always be Kylo Ren in him. You cannot be rid of the dark side._ The voice started torturing her through her mind. She struggled to hold the emotions back. Ora gritted her teeth, ignoring the low voice taunting her. She slammed one of the devices in his hand. "Here's your damned monitor."

She stormed off, trying to calm herself as she looked for Rey.

 _He killed Han_.

"Leave me alone," Ora whispered, her voice cracking.


	13. Rey the Light-Force Bringer

**Star Wars: A Bond Awakens**

 **Chapter Twelve: Rey the Light-Force Bringer**

Ora sat quietly on the bench behind the holo table. She looked at everything in detail, cherishing what little time she spent with Han on his Millennium Falcon.

It felt so empty without him.

The young Jedi tormented herself with thoughts of "What if" and "What could have been". Tears started streaming down her face when she remembered all the good times and thought about how she couldn't make any more with him. He was gone and never coming back.

What if she had gone with Han and Chewy to detonate the explosives instead of tagging behind Finn and Rey? What if she would have talked to Kylo Ren on that bridge...talked to Ben herself instead of Han who ended up dead and lost in the abyss? What if she hadn't run away from Rey back in Takodana's forest and convinced him to come home with her and Han?

What if, what if, what if.

BB-8 rolled up onto the ramp of the Falcon and rolled over to where she sat. She now had her head down, sobbing as quietly as she could. BB-8 started chirping at her. When she didn't answer, he bumped into her leg to get her attention.

She lifted her head and snapped at him. "Let me alone, BB-8, I don't want to talk to you!"

 _That's it,_ the voice sneered in its raspy tone, _let it out on the droid. Droids don't have feelings after all. Let the anger flow._

Ora picked up a tool that was next to her and chucked it at BB-8, but missed. "Go!"

BB-8 beeped sadly and rolled off the ship.

Ora rested her head back on the holo table. After a moment, she sat up straight and turned it on. The holocreatures were fighting again, slow and glitching because of how old it is. She rested her head in her hand, placing her elbow on the table and staring at the creatures depressingly. Something burned inside her. She felt the heat rise and anger seep out of her soul.

 _To think, if it wasn't for his own son, Han Solo would still be alive._

She started beating at her head, tear falling in rivers now. "Get out of my head!" When all her energy had been shot, she lay on the bench trying to calm her heart rate.

She hated herself for having no control over that dark voice.

But she hated Ben even more for what he did.

xxx

Ora spent a lot more time with Rey. They trained together when Luke allowed it, they played holo games together in their free time, Rey tried teaching her how certain parts of machines and droids worked and how to fix them, Ora tried helping her with her lightsaber skills. It was a great time especially for Ora. She had selfishly avoided Ben and the twins when he was with them.

She couldn't even look at him without that taunting voice telling her how much love she was missing out on now that Han was dead.

"You seem so distracted lately," Luke noted, trying to train the two girls at the same time despite their different stages of training they were at.

"No, I'm focused," Ora assured him.

They continued meditated. Luke would give them direction on where to focus in the Force when he felt one of them wasn't doing it right. He seemed to be a lot more patient now that there were only three Jedis he was training versus an entire temple full.

A cry interrupted all three of the meditating Jedi. Ora turned to see Ben walking quickly up to them with Tarrin in his arms. "He's hungry. He needs to eat," he said, handing him to Ora. He seemed upset and irritated.

This only flowed through the Force, through their bond and onto her. Of course, she knew it was more than just that. She couldn't get those dark whispers out of her head.

"I'm training." Ora didn't get up from the ground. She had to train. This was the only way she could try and get the voices out. She had to get them out before she did serious damage to something...or someone.

"You can't be serious," Ben seethed. "He's hungry." He stopped suddenly, clenched his jaw and began walking back into the base. "I'll find someone else to feed him then."

Ora quickly got up and ran to him, taking the crying child. She didn't say anything to Ben, she just walked to her own single room and fed him in peace. There was a little glint of thankfulness in her that she was holding him now. She felt more relaxed and less angry...the whispers were quieter now because of the tiny human in her arms.

Eventually he finished eating and fell quickly asleep. She walked back to the chambers where their cribs were and found Ben was sitting on the side of the bed with his head in his hands. She ignored him, walking into the infants' room, placing him in the empty crib. She walked out, shutting the door quietly behind her. Ora avoided eye contact with the brooding man on the bed and made her way towards the door, but he stopped her.

"What's going on? You are either avoiding me or angry with me. What are you not telling me?" he asked calmly.

"Nothing. Everything's fine, alright?" she said quietly in fear of waking up the children. She began walking out again, but Ben grabbed her and kissed her hard on the mouth. For a split second, she returned it.

 _If it wasn't for him, you would still have a father and a family with the Jedi at the temple. But he murdered them, too._

Ora pushed him hard away from her, looking at him with a fiery mix of fear and anger.

She stormed out.

"Are you okay, Ora? You're face is red." Finn walked up to her. He had just come out of his sleeping quarters.

She didn't stop walking. Her pace picked up, so he tried matching it, finding it actually a struggle.

"Hey, Ora, slow down!" He grabbed her arm, willing her to stop. She did. "What's going on? Rey told me you've been...not yourself lately."

Ora looked at him. Finn sometimes seemed like he hated her, other times indifferent. But right now, he seemed genuinely concerned. She pushed him back into his room, following him in, and shut the door quickly. She couldn't let anyone see her tears or her what she could no longer hold in anymore.

"I haven't forgiven him, Finn. I can't forgive him." She was crying now.

Finn stood there for a moment, looking at her weirdly. He tried reaching for her awkwardly, but stopped. He tried again, but it was obvious he had no idea and was uncomfortable. "I'm going to get Rey." He nodded to himself. Good idea.

Ora, wiped her tears away as he left. She wasn't sure where to place herself in Finn's room. She should have just held strong long enough to get into her own quarters.

 _You forget that Finn was with the First Order. He's killed and murdered. He was helping with the massacre of the village that you watched so passively that one eventful, lustful night._

Ora clenched her jaw. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She repeated over and over again for the voice to be gone.

The door burst open with Rey worried like a small child. Her expression was utterly distraught...concerned and horrified. "What's this about not forgiving Ben?"

At first Ora was confused. She thought she would be horrified of the voices, not concerned for Ben. Then she remembered that she hadn't said anything about the voice.

"All I think about is Han. And when I look at Tarrin, I see the destruction that he could become like his father."

Rey furrowed her brows at an utter loss. "I thought you'd forgiven and forgotten."

"That's not so easy when Han was like your father...the only parent you had."

"I know."

Rey took her hand and sat her down in one of the chairs. Finn kind of loomed over them, listening but not saying anything.

"Now I feel terrible," Rey complained.

"What?"

"I only lashed out at Ben because I felt I could. He had you, so I can be mad and unforgiving. But now that I see you aren't..." She trailed off, unsure of how to put everything into the right words.

Finn understood what she was saying. "We can't all be angry and unforgiving towards him. That's what the dark side does; we aren't like them. At least, I don't think we should be. Besides, I don't know about you guys, but I would rather have Kylo Ren on our side then theirs. Remember when he was on their side last time?"

Rey tried to laugh for his sake, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

It wasn't working for Ora. "That's just it. You can't... You can't depend on a single person, or a group of them to decide whether you are for the light or the dark. You shouldn't put such a responsibility on a person. It's too much."

None of them knew what else to say.

Finn certainly didn't. "Maybe you don't really love him."

Ora stared at him with fierce eyes for the longest time before she hit him square in the jaw. Surprisingly enough, she knocked him unconscious.

xxx

Rey was sitting beside the hospital bed holding Finn's hand. Ora sat in the far corner with her arms crossed over her chest. She stared at Finn sorrowfully. Why would she do such a thing? Where was all this anger coming from? She was a Jedi of peace, not violence. Ora clenched her jaw, unable to figure why this was happening and why she couldn't control herself.

It was like Ben and her switched tempers.

"Ora," Rey began.

"Don't," Ora warned, but Rey continued.

"You've never been such an angry person in the few days I've been around you. What's happened?"

Tears streamed down Ora's cheeks. She leaned her head back against the chair, feeling so hopeless. "I have no idea what's happening. All I know is that there are voices in my head." Her voice began to crack. "And I can't get them out."

Rey stood up from her friend's side and ran over to Ora, embracing her tightly. "We must talk to Luke."

Ora shook her head slowly. "He doesn't do well when his padawan's are turning towards the dark." She tried to smile at that like she made a joke.

The scavenger girl looked at her quickly. "What? The dark? They are just voices, Ora. We have doubts and bad thoughts in all of us, we just need to remember that people care for us no matter how dark or negative those thoughts may be."

"It's the dark side I feel through the Force every time I think about Han and every time I look at his face...Ben's presence sparks something bad in me, and I don't understand why I let this darkness control me."

Poe opened the door seeing the tear fest and Finn unconscious on the bed. "Nurse said he'll wake soon. What's with the crying? Did I miss something? Did the droid lie to me? Is he dying?" He dramatically went into panic mode.

"No, no. We were talking about other things," Rey said. "Finn is fine."

He calmed, nodding. "Cool, cool. So what's wrong then?"

Rey was clearly an awful liar. "Just, you know, Jedi training stress. It's practically contagious."

But Poe let her lie. He walked over to Finn, examining his face. "You really got him good, Ora."

She groaned. "I know, I feel horrible."

"You see?" Rey said, looking at her with a sparkling glint of hope. "You're still you. You aren't of the dark side, Ora. You just need help. Please, let Luke help you."

"Wait, wait," Poe said. "The dark side?"

BB-8 rolled into the room. He beeped loudly. _The Dark side?_

"What's this about the dark side?" the general asked following BB-8 into the room.

Oh, Maker, why is everyone in the Resistance so damned nosy? She was surprised everyone didn't know everything about her and Ben and what's happening between them and what's happening to each of them individually.

Rey frowned. She glanced at Ora, not willing to betray her confidence. It was too late to lie or come up with something. It was obviously the two ladies had shed tears and there really was something wrong. Even if there wasn't any evidence, Ora wasn't sure she could lie to Leia. Not only because she was a mother to her, but because she was an amazing leader of the Resistance and deserves to know anything she might need to.

When Ora looked at Rey, begging her to do or say something.

Rey hesitated for a moment. "General, Ora is stressing over some things, but for now she would like to keep it between her and I. If we need help, we will come to you and Luke straight away."

Ora shrunk slightly in the chair with relief. She would have been okay with Rey if she decided to tell her the whole truth, but she was ever more grateful for buying them time to figure it out.

"Alright, I understand." With that, Leia walked out, BB-8 following her.

Rey looked back at Ora with a bright smile. "I actually have an idea."

xxx

Ora was now dressed in a sleeveless, tight camisole with shorts stopping many inches above her knee. Rey suggested a special kind of stretching and meditated that Luke had taught her when they were away. She said it was one of the first things she learned. Luke insisted on the next time he had padawans, he would make sure to teach them how to keep their mind actively defensive against the darkness.

They two ladies definitely got some heads turned when they walked through the base and out into the grassy hills of D'Qar. Rey laid down two mats on the top of the hill. Ora stood on hers, watching Rey intently on what to do next.

"Alright," Rey said. "They key to this first part of the process is to put your mind and body at peace. It's like stretching and making your body do weird things to find its balance."

Ora adored how she explained things so vaguely.

Rey began to stretch both arms up to the sky in a straight line. You could see every rib bone through her shirt, it was almost as if she never ate. Ora did the same, stretching as high as she could. For whatever reason, she looked directly into the burning purple sun. She smiled and closed her eyes, feeling the light consume her body.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Rey smiling. "Look at that. It's already working and this is just the warm up! Alright, let's do this." She lifted and bent one of her legs, curving her arm to the send and bending over. She looked like a graceful bird.

At first, Ora wabbled when she tried to copy what her teacher was doing. Ora suddenly laughed.

Rey stopped and relaxed to a normal standing position. "What's so funny?"

"You're my teacher," Ora commented. "Look at you, new Jedi already have a padawan."

"I appreciate the flattery, but I don't specially treat kiss-ups!" Rey said in a fake teacher-kind-of-tone. She continued with the stretches and balanced poses, feeling the peace and Force flow through every vein in her body. "You want to let the Force and all its life flow. Feel it, let it take you to invincible, happy place."

She tried. She watched Rey and focused on every move that intertwined with the Force. It was like an elegant dance that was with a partner you couldn't see. With every slow, careful twist and turn, she felt the beauty of the Force flow about her. She felt the darkness of that voice break its hold of her mind, and in flooded the beauty that the Force was supposed to be.

Finally, after an hour of the stretches and dances, they stopped.

"How do you feel?"

Ora looked around as if the words for it would whisper in the trees. She came to look at Rey with a smile. "I feel free. Oh my Maker, Rey! You are going to be the best Jedi Master and teacher there ever was!" She embraced her dear friend tightly, silently thankful to feel free again.

Rey suddenly let go and grabbed her hand. "I've got another surprise that will be fun!" The scavenger ran wild with Ora's hand in hers. They ran down the hill giggling like small children chasing a drifting kite. When they started up and down another hill, Ora saw exactly what Rey had planned.

They both ran harder.

The two ladies didn't slow as they pounded on the metal dock, reaching the edge, and then jumping into the lack. Ora hit the water feet first, feeling the cool water seep through her clothes. It was refreshing.

Ora swam to the surface, finding Rey already sitting and ripping on the metal dock. "Wasn't that a rush?"

"I'll say," Ora said. The young mother saw a figure at the top of the hill walking towards them.

As he came closer, she saw his face. And this time, she felt love, not darkness. Ora ran to him as hard as her legs would let her. She jumped into his arms, wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him fiercely.

"Well, you seem in a better mood," Ben said in a low, sexy tone. He smiled at her, brushing a wet strand of hair behind her ear.

"I am. And I'm sorry."

"You better be. But I'll get even with you, don't you worry about that." He picked her up quickly, ran hard down the hill and tossed her back into the lake.

She let out a high pitched scream, the biggest smile on her face as she hit the water, this time butt-first. When she got to the surface, she smiled, but looked mad at him. "Get him, Rey!"

Rey laughed, pushing Ben into the water right next to her. Rey jumped in again, splashing the both of them like a child. Ben laughed, all three of them dunking each other deeper into the water.

Suddenly, another body joined in. He resurfaced and grinned. "You guys almost left me out!"

"And me!" Poe yelled, jumping in the water as a tight ball, his arms wrapped around his knees.

"Look who is finally awake! The droids let you out already?" Rey asked, splashing Finn lovingly.

He did the same back. "Yea, and Poe and I were going to ask you guys if you wanted dinner. But who cares? This is more fun!" Finn lifted Rey up and tossed her further away in the lake. She squealed like a little girl.

Ora swam closer to Ben, wrapping her arms around his neck. His hair looked even longer now that it was wet and slicked back with lake water. "I am sorry, love. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course. You don't even have to ask. And I understand if you don't want to talk about it. With me. I don't want you to feel the need to do anything when it comes to me other than do what you want. And be yourself." He stroked her wet hair, kissing her again.

"Ah come on, guys!" Finn whined dramatically. "Get a room!"

Everyone laughed.


End file.
